Pyralis
by Jade II
Summary: The tale of Cole, Phoebe and why their daughter has to kill them. *COMPLETE!*
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

  
  
  
  


I am 15 years old. I have brown hair and dark brown eyes. Sometimes I have a big smile, but not often. I like to dress in black and red. I wear dark make-up and big, silver jewelry. I'm not really the friendly type, nor am I a fun person. I suppose I'm an outsider, but I don't care. I've got more important things to think about than if people like me or not. Things they have no idea about. 

People say I'm just like my mother. I wouldn't know about that, I haven't seen her in years. Or my father, for that matter. I don't care, I'm better off without them. I live with my aunts and cousins in the family manor. They're the people I care about, not my parents. My parents don't care about me either, at least not in the way parents usually care about their children. They care because I'm a threat to them. And because I'm a threat to them, they're a threat to me, which means I can't be lead astray by any caring feelings I might have for them as my parents. So that's why I don't care, why I mustn't, can't care. 

I'm not sure how things got to be like this, my aunts don't really like talking about it. All I know for sure is that my mom used to be a good person, just like them. But then something happened to make her change. I keep wondering what could induce someone to turn like that, but I've never been able to come up with any convincing reason. I'll probably never know. 

She's a witch, my mother, one of the most powerful, one of the Charmed ones. What's more, she probably has the most power of the three, at least she does now. Now that she can just use everyone else to make herself stronger and doesn't have to think about the consequences. We could do that too, of course, but that would make us evil, and evil is our worst enemy. 

And that in turn makes my father our worst enemy, for he is Evil personified. He is the Source. He was human once too, but now he's as far from it as possible. Apart from one thing. 

He can love. 

Whoever said evil couldn't love was wrong, or else they changed the rules, because my parents love for each other is stronger than anything else they have. My father could do that, change the rules. He's the most powerful Source since the beginning of time, and having my mother by his side only makes him stronger. 

Which is why we have to kill them, and soon, before everything is consumed by their evil. 

I am their daughter. I am the key to their demise. 

My name is Pyralis, and the fate of the world is in my hands. 


	2. Chapter 1 (2001)

**Chapter 1**

**2001**   


"Aaaaah!" 

Phoebe screamed, throwing the picture of Prue against the wall with all her might. Why did she have to die?! It wasn't fair, it was so _bloody_ unfair! 

She picked up another photo and threw it, deriving at least some satisfaction from the sound of the glass in the frame smashing as it fell to the floor. 

_Why_?! Why, just as things were starting to look up, did _this_ have to happen?! She'd been happy, for the first time since forever she'd really been happy. Not just content, _happy_, dammit! But they just couldn't let it last, could they? As soon as things were going right, as soon as she'd found Cole, as soon as she'd gotten pregnant, they had to go and take her sister away from her! It was _so_ - she threw another picture - _unbelievably - _and another - _UNFAIR_! She screamed again as she felt tears start to form in her eyes, and threw the last picture, the biggest one, the one grams had taken. She stood there as it hit the wall and the glass broke, trying not to cry. Then she started throwing the ornaments. 

"Phoebe? What's the matter?" Cole stuck his head through the doorway. 

"What do you _think_ is the matter?!" She didn't look at him, instead throwing a porcelain cat. 

"Phoebe..." He took a step towards her, then thought better of it and went to the crib on the other side of the room to pick up the baby. "How long has she been crying?" he asked, concerned. 

"I don't _know_." She kicked the now empty table against the wall. 

"Phoebe, stop this." He went over to her and reached out with his free hand to take her by the arm, gently trying to pull her away. 

"I don't _want_ to stop!" she said, kicking the table viciously. She tried to get out of his grip, but he held on. Still struggling, she turned to him, intending to make him let go with a look of defiance. But the look didn't last long. She saw him staring at her, saw the concern in his eyes, and dissolved into tears. 

"I just," she sobbed, resting her head on his shoulder, "I just..." 

"Shh..." He kissed her hair as she sniffed, looking at their baby daughter who rested on his arm. 

After a few moments she took his hand and they sat down on the bed, Phoebe wiping the tears from her eyes. Finally she looked at him. 

"I just don't want Pyralis to grow up in a world like this, and to be honest I'm not sure I want to live in one anymore. I mean, what kind of life do we lead? Always fighting, always waiting for the next demon to attack, never knowing if you're going to live to see tomorrow. And the worst thing is, it doesn't seem like we're helping any. No matter how many demons and warlocks and God knows what else we vanquish, there are always more. We're so outnumbered, Cole, and I can't help thinking that one day they're gonna win, just out of sheer numbers and perseverance." she looked away from him and sighed. "I know this doesn't sound like me at all, Piper's usually the one who talks like this. I guess losing Prue has made me realize that any one of us could be next, that everyone I love is either dead or in danger of dying. What kind of world is that to bring a child into? I lost my mother when I was only a year or two older than her. What if _she_ has to grow up without a mother? What are we inflicting on her, Cole?" 

"We're not inflicting anything on her. There are just certain things that are a part of our life, and that we can't change. And as long as we do our best, that'll be enough, and she'll understand that. Okay?" 

She hesitated for a moment, watching as Pyralis grabbed her finger and gurgled happily. Then she looked up at Cole. 

"Okay." she said quietly, smiling softly. 

Cole smiled too. "Good." he said, putting an arm around her. "Everything's gonna be fine, you'll see." 

He grinned as he watched his little family. 

"Just fine" he whispered.   
  


**Author's note: **Don't worry, everything (as in, how much I screwed up the timeline so everything would fit) will be revealed, maybe before the end and maybe not... :D So, how'd you like it so far? The next chapter will be in the future and elaborate on the prologue. Actually I think I'll just explain some things here to avoid confusion and to tell you what to expect. There will be three types of chapter: One about Phoebe and Cole and how things got to be the way they are in the next type of chapter, set when Pyralis is fifteen when she and the rest of the family have their final showdown with Phoebe and Cole. The third type will be Pyralis' thoughts, written in the first person like the prologue. The types of chapter will alternate. The chapters set in the past will eventually catch up with the main story, so in the end you'll have the full picture. I hope I explained that all right. If I didn't, well, I'm sure you'll understand when it's done. Now... review, anyone? :D   


  
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	3. Chapter 2 (2016)

**Chapter 2**

**2016**   


Pyralis closed the door behind her as quietly as she could, desperate not to wake anyone. Then she stopped to listen for any telltale noises. Satisfied that everyone was asleep, she tiptoed into the living room - only to find her aunts there, waiting for her. 

"You're late." said Piper. 

"Yeah... There was a technical hitch and the movie started thirty minutes late." 

"Really, that's interesting..." Piper feigned distraction. "So how do you explain the extra _hour _it's taken you to get back here?" 

"My bike chain came out on the way home." 

"You didn't take your bike." said Paige pointedly. 

Piper stared at her scrutinizingly. "And I don't see any grease on your hands." 

Pyralis stared back as Piper waited patiently. They both knew this would end the same way it always did. 

"Oh, never mind," sighed Pyralis at last. "I-" 

Her expression changed from one of resignation to one of confused surprise as she looked down at her stomach, and the bloody sword that was suddenly protruding from it. "Oh sh..." she managed before her eyes rolled up into her head. The demon who had just appeared behind her withdrew his weapon with an evil grin as she sank to the floor. 

"Leo!" screamed Piper, already on her feet. She tried to freeze or at least explode the demon as he advanced on her, but to no avail. He swiped his sword and she jumped back with a yelp, only narrowly avoiding it. Suddenly Paige jumped on his back and he struggled to get her off, thrashing about wildly. He reached back with his sword and started trying to hack at her with it, managing a deep cut in the side of her neck which forced her to let go. She fell to the floor with a thump and lay there groaning, holding her head. Now it seemed she was out of the way the demon went after Piper again, leaping in front of her and backing her up against the wall, cutting her in several places in the process. 

"Sword!" Paige shouted shakily, trying to get up as it appeared in her hand. The demon immediately turned around and started back towards her. Piper picked up a vase and threw it at him, but he didn't even seem to notice. Instead he concentrated on Paige, who was holding his sword in front of her with a defiant look in her eyes. Further thrown objects had the same non-effect, but Piper kept going just so she wouldn't have to stand there helplessly. Paige and the demon circled each other, both trying to decide upon the best strategy. At that moment Leo orbed in. The demon looked back at the sound, and, taking advantage of his distraction, Paige ran at him, screaming as she plunged his own sword into his heart. 

The demon exploded in a mass of pink goo. 

Leo rushed over to Pyralis, who was lying on the floor, unmoving. He rolled her onto her stomach and held his hands over the bloody wound in her back. The familiar yellow glow appeared, and within a few moments the cut had vanished. 

Pyralis sat up slowly as Leo went over to help the others. Then she noticed the demon's sword lying in a slimy pink puddle. She picked it up out of idle curiosity and proceeded to draw patterns on the cool metal blade, watching the demon's pink goo mix with her own blood. 

"Pyralis, stop that! You might cut yourself." The newly-healed Piper came to sit on the arm of the couch, apparently not noticing that it was covered in bits of demon. "Anyway, it's gross." 

"And this pink slime on my face and in my hair and - oh! - _in-between my toes_ isn't? I mean, what kind of demon is made of pink slime? Pink!" Pyralis shook the sword, sending blobs of goo everywhere. 

"The kind that wields a sword and managed to cut each and every one of us. It's a miracle we're all still here." 

"It's always a miracle we're all still here, even though we always are. I don't know why you have to make such a big deal out of it." 

"_Because_," said Paige, stepping in, "even though it may seem to _you_ that we're always all still here, the fact is that we're not. If we_ were_, Michael would still be here, and Prue, and even your dear parents, not to mention all the innocents we've lost!" 

"Okay Paige, calm down, no need to get worked up..." Piper put a hand on Paige's arm, then turned back to face Pyralis. "Now, I believe we were discussing your punishment for being and hour and a half late and then lying to us about it. Again." 

"What?" said Pyralis, trying to look disbelieving. "You mean being stabbed in the back wasn't punishment enough?!" 

"As much as I enjoyed that, no, it wasn't. You're grounded for two weeks." 

"But Piper..." sulked Pyralis. 

"Pyralis, that's my final word on the subject." Piper lay back on the couch, suddenly exhausted. "Now go on, take a shower to get that slime off of you and then go to bed." 

"Come on Pyralis, Leo said gently, starting to walk up the stairs. "'Night guys" he said to Paige and Piper.   


The two sisters watched Pyralis follow him reluctantly, then sat in silence for a moment. 

"Whatever you want to say, just say it." said Piper finally. 

"Oh, how _kind_ of you to give me permission." Paige stood up and walked a few paces before sighing and turning back to face Piper. "That was to close for comfort, Piper and she was was talking like it was an everyday occurrence! And y'know what, that's what it's becoming! Now I don't know about you, but I don't think that's a good thing." 

"Of course it's not a good thing, but there's nothing we can do about it, I mean-" 

"You _know_ what we can do about it" Paige cut her off. 

"Paige," said Piper, exasperated, "I thought we agreed-" 

"We did. Three _years_ ago we agreed not to do anything unless it got worse. Well - newsflash! - it has! Kalinda and Phillip are asleep in bed, and thank God this demon didn't think to go after them first, or they wouldn't have woken up in the morning! Piper, we have _got_ to do something!" 

"I think we should just wait a _little_ longer, y'know, maybe-" 

"No! No maybes!" 

"But-" 

"No buts! We have to act _now_, or pretty soon they're gonna get another one of us, and then another, and before you know it we won't be _able_ to act! It's time we stopped waiting to see what's gonna happen next. As much as it may hurt, Piper..." 

Paige paused to look at her sister with sympathy. Forcing herself to calm down and take a deep breath, she looked into her eyes. 

"We have to kill Phoebe and Cole, and we have to do it _now_." 


	4. Chapter 3 (2016)

**Chapter 3**

  
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**2016**   
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I don't really care that I'm grounded, it's not like I can't get out of the house if I really want to. Even if they locked all the doors and shut all the windows with superglue I could still shimmer out. So the punishment is actually pretty pointless, but I'm not about to tell Piper that. 

She and Paige are fighting again, I listened from the top of the stairs for a few minutes after my shower. Paige is even more intent on killing my parents than usual. It's probably because it's the anniversary of her husband's death. Three years since Phoebe killed him, and she didn't do it in a nice way. Paige was helpless, the only thing she could do was sit with him and watch him suffer until he finally died. Before that she was just as reluctant as Piper to hurt Phoebe - although she's never cared for Cole - but she's changed now. She wants revenge. 

I think she's right. The number of demons we've had to fight has risen dramatically lately, and I don't think we've saved an innocent since last month. Evil is getting stronger, there's no doubt about it. There's also no doubt that we have to do something about it, before_ it_ does something about _us_. The only real solution is to kill Phoebe and Cole, like Paige said. There's no way any new Source could be stronger than them. But Piper doesn't want to, and without Piper there's no way we'd have enough power. 

I think she still believes that Phoebe's good, or at least that a part of her is. Or maybe she just wants to believe it, I'm not sure. She refuses to kill Cole, too, but I really don't know why that is. Maybe she thinks it's not his fault that he's evil. 

You probably think I'm weird, calling my parents Phoebe and Cole instead of mom and dad. The truth is, I just don't think of them like that. After all, they're my greatest enemies. I only think of them as mom and dad when I think of them in the past tense. There's a picture of them next to my bed, one that used to belong to my mother. That's a picture of my mom and dad. If you showed me a picture of them as they are today, I'd say it was the Source and his Queen. To all intents and purposes my parents are already dead, and killing them would just be cleaning up the mess they left behind. 

But how do we convince Piper that it's the only way, the only way to save ourselves? 

How do you convince someone to kill their own sister? 


	5. Chapter 4 (2002)

**Chapter 4**   


* * *

**SPOILER WARNING**: Contains a _lot_ of spoilers for "Charmed and Dangerous", the 13th episode of the 4th season. If you haven't seen the episode I suggest you don't read the rest of the chapters set in this time until you have, unless of course you don't mind being spoiled. You should also keep in mind that I've re-written parts of the episode to fit with my fic, so, while it's _very_ similar, it is definitely _not_ the same. So I guess it goes without saying that the plot for this part was _not_ my idea, but that of whoever wrote the original episode. Okay? You got all that? Then please read on, because this part really is quite integral to the story. It's also longer than my usual chapters because it's a whole episode, but longer is good, and it'll make up for the fact that hardly any of this is original, right? _Right_??   


* * *

  


**2002**   


"It's done." Phoebe held up the small piece of paper in astonishment. "It's done! I can't believe it was so easy!" She laughed. 

Cole went over to kiss her. "Congratulations," he said, putting an arm around her. She looked up at him and opened her mouth to say something, but then she stopped suddenly. "I have to tell the others!" she exclaimed, letting go of him and hurrying for the door. "Piper! Leo!" 

"Phoebe, wait up!" Cole picked Pyralis up off the floor and rushed downstairs after her, catching her up at the bottom. 

"Hey guys, guess what!" Phoebe said to Piper and Leo, who were seated at the table. 

"What makes you think I'm gonna outlive you anyway?" Leo was saying. Apparently they were still discussing Piper's last will and testament. She'd been working on it all last night. 

"Leo, you're an angel, literally. Which means short of a Darklighter you win Most Likely To Survive." 

"Oh!" said Phoebe enthusiastically, "Speaking of surviving, Source bulletin, This Just In!" She held up the piece of paper. 

Piper and Leo didn't pay much attention. 

"Honey, just sign the frickin' thing." Piper handed Leo a pen. 

Cole whistled. Loudly. 

"What?!" Piper finally turned around. 

Cole grinned. "Phoebe has something to say, that actually might affect what you're doing right here." He gestured toward the papers on the table. 

"Thank you honey," Phoebe said to him before turning to her sister, grinning from ear to ear. "We nailed the Source vanquishing spell," she told Piper proudly, handing her the piece of paper. "Our ancestors," she elaborated, "that's what we were missing. If we could draw the magic from the entire Halliwell line - " 

"We might have enough power to vanquish the Source..." Piper finished, realizing. 

"Yes" Phoebe said, hardly able to contain her excitement. 

"This is good! This might work!" Piper looked at her husband. 

"I'll go tell the Elders," he said, orbing out practically before he'd finished the sentence. 

Piper looked up. "Hey! You did not sign this!" she complained to a now absent Leo. 

"Oh honey, are you still on that last will and testament kick?" Phoebe looked at the documents. "I gotta tell you it's very very morbid." 

"No," corrected Piper, "it's very very responsible! Prue did it, and thank God she did, cos if she didn't we'd still be dealing with lawyers." 

Cole looked up. 

"No offense," she added. 

"Oh, none taken," he replied, "I've come to terms with my evil past." 

Phoebe looked at her sister. "No, I know what you're saying, but I have a really good feeling about this. Okay? No one is gonna die anytime soon." Suddenly she hunched up. 

"You all right?" asked Cole. 

"Yeah, um," she straightened again, "I just have the hiccups." She hiccupped. "Ooh! See?" She grinned nervously. "Uh, Piper, can I talk to you for a minute? In the kitchen?" She hiccupped again. 

"Sure," Piper said after a second. The two of them disappeared through the kitchen door, leaving Cole alone with his daughter. 

"Ga!" said Pyralis, pointing at something in the living room. 

"Ga?" asked Cole. "Honey, I don't think that's a word. How's about you try 'dad', huh?" 

Pyralis grinned at him. "Ga!" she said again. 

He leaned back. "I guess that was too much to hope for from a six-month-old. Come on then," he told her as he stood up, "Let's see if we can't find something more interesting to do." He carried her into the living room and sat her on the floor. 

"Ga!" Pyralis tried to grab a nearby toy, but it was just out of her reach. 

"Go on," Cole told her. "You can get it. Do some crawling now, come on." 

Pyralis whined and reached for the toy again, but she couldn't get it. So she set fire to it instead. 

"Ohh, not again..." Cole picked Pyralis up. "Phoebe?" he called as he got to his feet. 

"What?" she said, coming out of the kitchen. 

"Some water?" he asked, gesturing at the little fire on the floor. 

Phoebe looked at it. "Sure," she said after a second. 

"Thanks." Cole grinned at his fiancé, then held his daughter's face up to his own. "You," he told her, "are too impatient for your own good." 

"Gee, I wonder where she gets that from," Phoebe called from the kitchen. 

"Are you saying I'm impatient?" 

"Noo, I would never say that." 

"Liar," Cole said as she re-entered with a bucket of water and put out the fire. 

Phoebe made a face at him before her expression turned serious. "Listen, Cole, I hate to say this... but I think we should consider binding her powers, at least for now." 

"What? No!" Cole couldn't believe she was even suggesting it, especially at a time like this. 

"But Cole, what if she sets fire to a person?" 

"Then that's tough for them! Phoebe, the sooner she learns to control her powers the better, especially while the Source is after you!" 

"Cole, if the Source wants to kill her she's not going to be able to protect herself with or without her powers. She's too young, it's _our_ responsibility to protect her." 

"I still don't think it's a good idea. Please, Phoebe, give her a chance before you take them away from her." 

Phoebe sighed. "Okay... but if she hurts anyone her powers are gone!" 

"Okay," Cole agreed. "D'you wanna take her?" 

"No, um, actually, could you take her out for a walk or something?" 

Cole shrugged. "Sure. You're not coming?" 

"Uh..." 

"Phoebe?" Piper asked, coming out of the kitchen with the phone, "That thing you were talking about, a day thing or a night thing?" 

"Night," Phoebe replied. 

"What thing?" asked Cole. 

Phoebe looked away from him. "It's nothing important." 

Cole narrowed his eyes. "You want me to leave, don't you?" 

"Yes." 

"And you don't want to tell me why." 

"If you could just give us a coupla hours," she pleaded, "And don't ask any questions. Please, please." 

"You'll tell me later?" 

"I promise." 

"All right," he agreed. "I'll just go get her coat and we'll be gone in a minute." 

"Thank you!" She kissed him. "I'll see you later." 

"Okay." He watched her go back into the kitchen with Piper before heading upstairs to get Pyralis' things. He didn't know why, but something was making him feel uneasy. He shook it off as best he could. After all, it was probably nothing. 

* * * 

Cole walked along the street, whistling. The weather was surprisingly good, considering it was February. The sunshine had put him in a great mood, and seemed to have had the same effect on Pyralis, who was sitting in the backpack pointing at things and happily babbling away. He smiled to himself. He'd have to get Phoebe something as a thank you for suggesting this walk, even if it was just to get him out of the house. But what should he get her? Flowers? Chocolates? A new book? 

"Ga!" Pyralis said excitedly, pointing at a shop across the road. 

Cole looked over and broke into a smile. It was a jeweler's. His daughter had just given him the perfect idea. 

"Yeah, it's very pretty isn't it?" he said to her as he walked over. She just laughed. 

The door chimed as he opened it and stepped into the shop. A small man in spectacles and a suit came over almost immediately. 

"Looking for anything specific?" he asked Cole. 

"Yes, actually," Cole smiled, thinking of Phoebe. "An engagement ring." 

"Right this way sir." The man walked a few paces to a glass cabinet filled with rings of all shapes and sizes. 

Cole was astounded at the sheer number of them, wondering how on earth he was going to choose. "That's a lot of rings," he said. 

"Yes sir, we're very proud of our selection." 

"Hmm..." Cole looked over his shoulder. "What do you think?" he asked Pyralis. "What would your mom like, huh?" 

She ignored him, preferring to look around the store with big eyes and open mouth. 

He raised his eyebrows and turned back. And found himself staring right at the perfect ring. 

"That one," he said, pointing at it. "I want that one." 

"Good choice!" The man took out a key and opened the cabinet. He held up the ring and said something about the diamond and how good the price was, but Cole wasn't really listening. He had just noticed Pyralis' hand, right next to his ear and trying to reach one of the rings, and was remembering what had happened earlier. Phoebe would never forgive him if he let Pyralis set fire to a jewelry store. "Um," he said, interrupting the man, "I'm sorry, I'd like to get something for my daughter too. Any ideas?" 

"But of course!" The little man said, still smiling and still looking insanely happy. "What about a nice gold chain to go round her wrist? With an engraved plaque?" 

"Um, sure. Yeah, that would be great." Cole was painfully aware of the straining muscles in his daughter's arm. "Can you do it quickly, please? Only I don't think she's gonna be happy much longer seeing all these pretty things and not being able to touch them." 

"Of course sir," said the man, going behind a counter and getting a pen and pencil. "If you'd just write down what you'd like engraved on the bracelet." 

Cole took the pencil and tried to think of some meaningful message he'd like to give his daughter. He couldn't. "Pyralis, love dad" he wrote, and gave it to the man hurriedly. He was sure something was going to burst into flames any second now. 

After what seemed like hours the man came back from the little back room he'd been in with a little gold chain. "Now," he said, "You can adjust this to fit, and when she grows to big for that you can bring it back here and we'll put some more links in the chain." 

"Yeah, thanks," said Cole. "Can I pay now?" 

"Of course." 

Cole waited another few agonizing minutes. 

"Would you like a bag for that?" the man said finally. 

"Uh, no thanks. But do you think you could put the bracelet on my daughter's wrist?" 

"No problem." He did so and Cole breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected _that_ little problem... 

"Thanks," he said over his shoulder, already heading for the door. 

"Have a nice day!" 

Cole stepped outside and looked at his watch. It had been almost two hours since they'd left the house. He decided to head back. After a few steps he started to smile again. He was happy, Pyralis was happy, and very soon Phoebe would be happy. 

He resumed whistling. 

* * * 

Cole was still whistling when he got back to the house. He got Pyralis out of the backpack and took her coat off before going to find Phoebe. 

He found her in the kitchen, making a potion with Piper. 

"Hi," he said, raising his eyebrows, "Am I back too soon?" 

The sisters went "um" and "uh" and made faces. Something was up. 

"We need his help," Piper told Phoebe. "No time to be evasive." 

Something was _definitely_ up. 

"Help for what?" he asked. 

Phoebe hesitated. 

He tilted his head as he jiggled Pyralis up and down. "Look, it's obvious you're making a potion, so what is it you're not telling me?" 

Piper and Phoebe looked at each other. Finally Phoebe came over to talk to him. 

"Um," she said, wringing her hands. "I had a premonition. A demon attacked and you jumped in front of a fireball to save me." She looked at him nervously. 

"What?" He took a step forward. "You can't keep these things from me." 

Phoebe shook her head. "I was just trying to protect you." 

"Well that's not a good enough reason." He couldn't believe she wouldn't tell him something like this. 

"Uh, hate to interrupt, but maybe we should talk about the demon," Piper said. 

"What did he look like?" Cole asked Phoebe, trying to put the other thoughts out of his mind for the moment. 

"A creepy half-face... And his good side had tribal markings, kinda like..." 

"Balthazar," he said. 

Phoebe sighed, nodding her head. "A little bit. Do you know who he is, does he work for the Source?" 

"He doesn't work for the Source Phoebe, he _is_ the Source," Cole said angrily. She should've told him! "His face was disfigured in the battle that brought him to power, only upper-level demons have seen him." She'd put all their lives at risk through a misguided attempt to save his. At least she looked like she was starting to realize it. 

"You should've told me," he said. 

There was a silence. 

Piper sighed. "So he's the one that released the Hollow." 

"The Hollow, what do you mean released?" This was getting better by the second. 

"It already attacked us," Phoebe said. "It took Piper's power." 

Cole looked at her disbelievingly. "Well then you'd better find a way to beat the Source without your powers, otherwise-" 

The potion exploded. 

"Already on it," Piper said. 

Cole hoped so. 

* * * 

"Five magic crystals oriented east to west. Magic circle check," Paige said as she stood up. 

Piper poured her potion into a glass mug. "Ooh, purple good, purple equals exploding power, exploding power check." 

"One fabulously written Source vanquishing spell," Phoebe held it up, "Check." 

"Don't get cocky," Cole grinned. 

"Not cocky, confident," said Phoebe, kissing Pyralis on the head before handing her to Cole so she could help Piper with the potion. 

"We are talking about the Source of all evil, maybe measured optimism is best," her sister told her. 

"The Source unleashed the Hollow," Leo said as he orbed in. 

Piper turned to her husband. "Already on that train honey, it took my powers, anything else?" 

"Good and evil need to join forces and read the inscription on the box where the Hollow is kept," he said, "That will put it back in it's crypt and return your powers." 

"Okay," said Piper, "So at least we know how to banish it, this is good news." 

"Good news if the Source brings the box and we can find an evil being willing to help," said Phoebe. 

Paige turned to Cole. "Hey Cole, too bad you're not still evil." 

Phoebe looked at him. He raised his eyebrows. "Well, one step at a time. First we vanquish the Source, and then we'll worry about putting Pandora back in it's box." 

Paige's cellphone rang. She answered it and went out in the hall to talk. 

Phoebe came to sit next to Cole and took Pyralis back as Piper and Leo filled little bottles of potion. 

"Are you nervous?" Phoebe asked suddenly. 

"Well yeah, of course I am. You?" 

"I dunno. I feel sorta terrified, but really excited at the same time." 

Cole took her hand. "I think that's only natural." 

She smiled. 

"Leo, could you ask Paige to get back in here?" Piper screwed the lid on the last bottle. "I need to check that everything's really done." 

"Sure." Leo went into the hall. 

"You ready?" Piper asked Cole and Phoebe. 

"As ready is we'll ever be," Phoebe said. "Right honey?" 

"Right," said Cole, squeezing her hand. 

"Leo!" they suddenly heard Paige shout. 

"Get an exploding potion!" Cole rushed out into the hallway. Leo was lying on the floor with an arrow in his chest, and a few feet away there stood a Darklighter who'd evidently just shot him. Or _was_ he just a Darklighter? 

"Crossbow!" Paige shouted. 

"No, your powers!" Cole tried to warn her, but it was too late. The Hollow absorbed her power, leaving her defenseless. 

"Leo?" Piper ran forward. 

Phoebe appeared. "Paige watch out!" she said, throwing the exploding potion with one hand while still holding Pyralis with the other. 

The Darklighter exploded, leaving the Hollow, which had been inside him, to float away, presumably back to the Source. 

Cole looked down at Leo. His face contorted in pain as Piper put his head on her knees. 

This did not look good. 

* * * 

Cole opened the closet and took the box with the ring out of his coat pocket. He didn't want to let Phoebe fight the Source without him having given it to her. Not that it would protect her in any way, but... Well, it would make him feel better. 

Phoebe came in and started looking through her drawers hurriedly. "I'm just looking for my potion book, have you seen it anywhere?" she asked. 

"I didn't think you could save Leo with a potion?" 

"Yeah, but it's not just to save Leo, it's to save us all." 

"Oh yeah? How?" 

"I don't know, but I have to do _something_, I can't just sit around and -" She was looking in his direction properly for the first time since she'd entered the room. "What's that?" 

"This?" He shook the box. 

"Yeah." 

He played with it with his fingers and looked down at it. "It's just a little something I've been waiting for the right moment to give you." He smiled as he took a step towards her and opened the box. 

She smiled too when she saw it, then looked up at him. 

"It's not your grams'," he said, "But hopefully it's not cursed." 

Her expression turned serious. "I... I don't think now's the time." 

"Actually I think now's the perfect time," he said softly. 

He carefully took the ring out, put the box on the table and took her hand. Gently he slid the ring onto her finger. Then he squeezed her fingers and looked into her eyes. 

"This way no matter what happens," he told her, "You'll always know that I love you." 

"It's beautiful," she said, then sighed. "Now you have to go." 

"No," he said, "I'm staying here with you and Pyralis." 

"Do you want me to watch _you_ die too?" Phoebe raised her voice. 

"If that's what it takes to save you, yeah." 

"No but I'm supposed to save _you_, that's why I got that premonition." 

"Not necessarily. You know as well as I do you're not meant to stop every premonition," he said. "Some are just meant to prepare you for what's to come." 

She looked at him, the fear evident in her eyes. 

"Hey, come here," he said after a minute, pulling her into a hug. 

"Oh Cole," she sighed, "I just hope you'll be all right. If only we still had all our powers!" 

"Well there must be some way to get them back, mustn't there?" 

"But _how_?" 

"I don't know," he let go of her and sat on the bed. "You've lost your powers before, right? How did you get them back then?" 

"Well with a... _Spell_..." She looked at him. "Cole, you are a genius!" 

"Well, I wouldn't go that far..." he said bashfully. 

"Come on!" Phoebe said, grabbing his hand, "We don't have much time!" 

* * * 

"Piper?" Phoebe called when they'd reached the bottom of the stairs. 

Piper came out of the living room. 

"We may have a plan to get your powers back," Cole told her as Paige came out of the sunroom to join them. 

"Then maybe Paige could help heal Leo," Phoebe said. 

"A spell?" asked Piper. 

"Remember the one to call for a witch's powers?" Phoebe said. "_Maybe_, it might be strong enough to call the powers from the Hollow." 

"Could that work?" Paige asked. 

"It has to," Piper told her. She looked at Cole. "Uh, could you watch those two?" 

"Sure," he replied. He watched the sisters go off to find the book, then went into the living room, where Leo and Pyralis were both asleep. He sat down next to Pyralis, and almost immediately felt a strange sensation, almost as if- 

He appeared somewhere in the underworld. 

...as if he were shimmering, he finished his thought. He looked around nervously. Who had brought him here? And why? And most importantly, how had they found out he was still alive? 

"Don't be afraid," said a voice. A voice he knew, but couldn't quite place. 

"Who are you?" he asked. "Where am I?" 

A shadowed figure came into view. 

"Back in your once and future life," it answered. "_Balthazar_." 

"Balthazar..." Cole finally got a good look at the speaker. Dressed in red. Earrings with spirals on. Dark hair. Dark skin. Dark eyes. 

"The Seer," he said. 

"Even now I can see the void where your demon half used to exist," she said. "It craves to be complete again." 

"How did you know I was still alive?" Cole asked warily. 

"I had a vision," the Seer replied. "One where you and I do great things together." 

"I don't work with evil anymore," said Cole. 

"You might reconsider, if you hope to save your precious witch." 

What did she know about Phoebe's fate, he couldn't help but ask himself. 

"Only you and I can help her defeat the Source," the Seer continued. 

Cole looked at her. "I'm listening," he said reluctantly. 

"If you take in the Hollow, you can absorb the Source's power when he attacks." The Seer picked up a wooden box and turned to face Cole. "Once powerless, they can vanquish him." 

"What happens to me after?" Cole was still unsure. Very unsure. 

"The witches and I will banish the Hollow back to it's crypt. You will return to normal." 

"How do I know this isn't just one of the Source's tricks? Or one of yours for that matter." 

"The Source has been corrupted by the Hollow, and is going to destroy us _all_," she informed him. "He can not be allowed to continue with this path of madness." 

"If I do this," Cole asked, "What do you see then?" 

"A future. For _both_ sides." 

Cole turned away from her. How was he supposed to make a decision like this? The Seer was awfully persuasive... 

Something popped into his mind. 

"Is this the great thing you saw us doing together?" he asked. 

"Perhaps," came the reply. 

No help there then. 

"However you won't ever know unless the Source is stopped first." 

He turned back to her. 

"It's your only chance to save your love," she said. 

It didn't look like he had much of a choice. 

Cole walked towards her and stood in front of the box. She opened it and he steeled himself for what was to come. 

Then suddenly it came, and it was horrible, like inhaling huge bits of dust and suffocating and then the dust coming in though you eyes and nose and ears and anywhere else it can find as it slowly fills you up- 

And then suddenly he was full, and felt like he was made of dust, a bag of skin filled with so much dust it was hard to breathe. He could feel the Hollow, feel the sheer greed and desire for consumption that was now a part of him, too. 

But he still knew what he had to do. 

* * * 

He appeared at the side of the attic, already running as he knew what was to come. He saw the Source, saw him throw the fireball, felt himself leap in front of it. He felt the heat of the fireballs he threw at the Source, heard himself tell Phoebe to hurry and get the spell, saw the Source burn up in a huge ball of fire. And yet at the same time, he was only partly aware of all this, and he longed for this thing to be out of his body and back in the box where it belonged. 

Phoebe and the Seer read the inscription on the box. Cole felt the Hollow being sucked out of him, and had never felt more relieved in his life. It was as if he had been drowning and at the last moment someone had pulled him out of the water. 

And yet, even as Phoebe hurried over to hug him before rushing off downstairs with Paige, he felt as though there was something still inside of him. 

Something that shouldn't be there. 

* * * 

He helped Piper down the stairs and into the living room, where Paige had managed to heal Leo. 

"All is as it should be again," said the Seer from behind him. She was smiling. "Time to return to my side. Too bad Balthazar's gone, he would have made a great new Source." She looked at Cole. 

"Too bad," he said. 

"I don't know who you are," Phoebe said to the Seer, "But whoever you are, we thank you." 

"Oh, I didn't do this for your future," the Seer told her. "I did it for _mine_." 

"I don't understand," said Paige, "If we got our powers back, where did the Source's go?" 

The Seer smiled, or was it a grin? Cole wasn't sure. "Into the void," she replied. 

And with that she disappeared. 

* * * 

"For Prue." 

A little later Leo and the Halliwell sisters clinked their glasses as they sat in their living room, celebrating. 

Cole came down a few minutes later after putting Pyralis back to bed, passing Piper and Leo on the stairs. 

"Hi honey," said Phoebe. "Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, why?" He sat down on the couch next to her. 

"Well it just took you a while to come down." 

"It did?" 

There was a silence. 

"Y'know what," said Paige, sensing that they wanted to be alone, "All that facing death has made me kinda tired. I think I better get some sleep." 

"Goodnight!" said Phoebe as Paige went upstairs. "You sure you're okay?" she asked Cole when she'd gone. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just a little... Tired, too." 

"To tired to celebrate?" Phoebe smiled at him. "_You_ are my soon-to-be husband." She laughed. "And you're also my hero." 

"Oh, I'm nobody's hero," Cole told her as she pulled him in for a hug. 

And within him, something evil stirred.   


**END OF CHAPTER FOUR **(thank goodness for that!) 

**Author's note: **Okay, so what did you think of that? Was it a stupid idea, should I have jumped forward farther in time and just said that the stuff happened more or less like in the episode? Ah, well, it's done now, can't change it. I am _so_ tired! Oh, and please excuse any typos you might find? I have a spellchecker on here but I haven't got time to read through all this to pick out the things it would miss, and I might not have until Thursday. But you'd much rather have a new chapter today with maybe a few errors than have to wait for Thursday, right? Right? 

Anyway, thanks for reading, please R&R and I promise I won't just transcribe an episode again! Especially since my story is going a different way from the show, it really is, I promise! Anyway... yeah. 


	6. Chapter 5 (2016)

**Chapter 5**

  
  
  
  
  


**2016**   


"Coffee!" Pyralis hurried into the kitchen, dumping her bag on a chair and hurrying to the coffee machine. "I'm going to fall right back to sleep any second now if I don't get some caffeine inside me," she told her aunts. 

"Well whose fault is that?" Piper didn't look up from her newspaper. Paige didn't say anything, pouring milk on her daughter's cornflakes. 

Pyralis looked at them. This wasn't normal. "Is it me or is it kinda quiet in here?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. 

They ignored her. 

"Don't tell me you're still mad at each other," she sighed. 

Paige and Piper still steadfastly refused to say anything. 

Pyralis put sugar and cream in her coffee and took a sip. She stared at her aunts for a second, then sighed again. "Phillip, Kalinda, tell your moms to lighten up a little?" she said to her cousins as she walked across the kitchen to the basement. She opened the door. "Prue, Phyre, you ready?" she called down the stairs, downing the rest of her drink. 

"Coming!" Piper's two daughters came up the stairs, Prue holding Phyre's bag so she could put her jacket on. 

"Bye mom," Phyre kissed Piper on the cheek before taking her bag back from an impatient Prue. 

"Bye sweetie. Have a nice day!" Piper called as Prue and Pyralis hurriedly said goodbye too and ran out to get their bikes. Then the three of them started cycling down the road in a slightly more leisurely fashion. 

"So," Prue grinned at Pyralis, "Where did you get to last night?" 

"Oh, nowhere important. I almost died, though." 

"What?!" Prue narrowly avoided steering right into her cousin. "What do you mean?" 

"Well, when I got home a demon stabbed me in the back." 

"What?" Phyre pedaled up alongside them too. "No one told us that!" 

"Why would mom keep something like that from us?" Prue wondered. 

"I don't know," said Pyralis, "But my guess would be that she doesn't want you to start agreeing with Paige. Now would you two please get back behind me, you're blocking the road, and when we go round the corner we're gonna scrape the walls like this." 

"Sorry." Prue let Pyralis go back in front. "What doesn't mom want us to agree with Paige on?" 

"Oh, I think you know what." 

They turned the corner into an alley, the shortcut they always took on their way to school. 

"You've gotta admit though," said Phyre, "Paige is kinda biased." 

"But with good reason," Pyralis told her. "Especially with the number of deee-" 

The three of them braked as hard as they could. A demon had just appeared in front of them. 

He started to zap them with an energy bolt from his fingers. 

Prue froze him. 

"Speak of the demon," Pyralis said. She raised her eyebrows at Prue. "You wanna do the honors or shall I?" 

Prue grinned. "I think it's your turn." 

"Very well," Pyralis said with an exaggerated British accent. "Oh wait. Phyre, see if you can get a premonition off of him." 

"I doubt it," Phyre said, reluctantly going over to the demon. "Seeing as you're about to set him on fire." She touched him gingerly. "Y'know, I wish I had one of your pow-" She blinked her eyes. 

"What," said Prue, "What did you see?" 

"A whole bunch of demons, somewhere in the underworld. Plotting to kill us." 

"Gee, that's new." Pyralis waved Phyre aside. "Get out of the way then." 

"But don't you think this is important?" 

"Phyre, there's always some demon or another plotting to kill us, what's different about these ones? We'll tell Paige and Piper when we get home." She grinned as she made the demon float up in the air by about twenty feet. "For now, on with the show." She set fire to the demon then turned him around and let him drop headfirst toward the ground. He burnt up just before he hit it. 

"Aw." Pyralis looked disappointed. "I was hoping he'd make a hole." 

Prue shook her head as she got back on her bike. "Pyralis, you are just too weird for your own good." 

"Thanks," said Pyralis, starting to cycle again. "I try." 

They rode down the alley a little faster than normal, then up and down a few more streets to Phyre's school, where they left her with her friends, and on to the high school. 

The bike shed was, as usual, practically empty. Prue and Pyralis got off their bicycles in a corner in the back. 

"Do you think Phyre will be safe by herself with a demon after us?" Prue asked. 

"We just vanquished the demon who was after us, Prue. And anyway, I doubt anyone, or any_thing_ for that matter, would be stupid enough to attack in a school full of people. She'll be fine, don't worry." Pyralis picked up her bag and they walked out of the shed and onto the lawn. 

"Prue!" A bunch of girls called and waved. 

Prue looked at Pyralis. "I'll see you later," she told her, then went to join her friends. 

Pyralis shrugged and walked up the stairs to the entrance, heading for her locker. She didn't have any friends to giggle with before school. But that was okay. She didn't want any. She had other, more interesting friends. If you could call them friends, that was. They were fun though, and that was all that mattered. 

The corridor where her locker was was still pretty empty when she got there. She keyed in the combination and opened her bag. Now, what did she have today... she took some books out, then reached into the back of the locker and felt for the bag where she kept her potions, disguised as perfume and nail varnish and suchlike. One, two... She squeezed the bag. Three. Good, they were all still there, as was her emergency spell book. She withdrew her hand and closed the locker, then made her way to her first class. 

She was the first one to enter the classroom, but it soon filled up. She took her pencil case, notepad and ridiculously big and heavy history book out of her bag and spent the rest of the time until the teacher came in writing a poem. Then she paid attention and worked hard as always. After all, she had a straight-A reputation to uphold. 

About thirty minutes into the lesson there was a knock at the door and the school secretary poked her head in. 

"Pyralis Halliwell, the principal wants to see you in his office." 

Pyralis felt the whole class turn to look at her as she rose from her seat and slowly walked to the door. She wondered why the principal wanted to see her just as much as they did. She hurried out and walked along the deserted halls to his office. She knocked on the door. 

"Come in," said the voice of the principal. 

Pyralis stepped inside. Mr. Rice was standing with his back to her, looking out of the window. 

"You wanted to see me?" Pyralis asked uncertainly. 

"Ah yes, Pyralis. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you." 

Pyralis raised her eyebrows as he started to turn around. Then she caught a glimpse of something glowing in his hand. 

She barely had time to shimmer away before the red ball of energy went flying across the room to where she'd been standing. 

"That was mean," she said, reappearing behind him. 

He threw another energy ball, but this time she held out her hand and threw it right back at him. Unfortunately it left him unharmed. 

Reacting quickly she tried to set him on fire, but that didn't work either. She saw another energy ball start to grow in his hand and quickly threw one of her own. Red and blue energy balls collided with great force and caused an explosion that threw them both backwards. 

Pyralis shimmered away and landed next to her locker, the breath momentarily knocked out of her. She scrambled up and keyed in the code, grabbed a potion, then slammed the door shut and ran down the hall to the classroom where Prue was having math. 

She took a deep breath to calm herself and then knocked and put her head round the door. 

"Excuse me Mrs. Samson," she said to Prue's math teacher, "Mr. Rice said to tell Prue to come to his office." 

Mrs. Samson, an older lady who was either extremely nice or extremely gullible, simply nodded and motioned for Prue to go. 

"What was that all about?!" hissed Prue once they were alone. 

"Demon," said Pyralis, "Mr. Rice just tried to kill me. Well, either that or a demon who looked just like him." 

Prue looked at her skeptically. "Really?" 

"Well, if you count throwing red energy balls at me as trying to kill me, yeah!" 

"Why didn't you vanquish him?" 

"He was immune to my powers! All of them!" 

Prue seemed convinced. "Okay. I guess we'd better get back home." 

They hurried down the corridor, turned a corner, and bumped right into Mr. Rice. 

"And where do you two think you're going?" He grinned at them. 

Pyralis took the potion out of her pocket and threw it at his feet, then turned around and high-tailed it after Prue into the nearest bathroom. 

"Bikes not a good idea?" Prue asked. 

"I don't think so. Attic," Pyralis decided. 

Prue nodded and orbed straight into the attic at the manor, Pyralis shimmering after her. 

"What potion was that anyway?" Prue asked. 

"I don't know, I just grabbed one. Could've been the memory-scrambling one." 

"As long as it wasn't the exploding one. I don't want to get into more trouble than we'll already be in." 

"As long as we're _alive_, who cares?" Pyralis started looking through the Book of Shadows. "Y'know, I bet there's nothing in here about him." 

"Then we're screwed." 

"Geez, what a positive attitude you have, Prue!" 

"Pyralis, I'm serious!" Prue started pacing. "What if he finds us?" 

"Then we run, until we figure out a way to vanquish him. Simple." 

"And how do we figure out a way to vanquish him without mom and Paige?" 

"Fine." Pyralis looked at Prue. "If getting your mom will make you feel better, go ahead and do it, I don't care." 

"Fine!" Prue orbed out. 

Pyralis heaved a sigh of relief. If she'd known Prue would be so little help she wouldn't have bothered to get her. She turned the pages quickly, and found nothing. 

"Damn," she said under her breath. It looked like she was going to have to write a spell herself, even though she hardly knew anything about the demon it was to be used on. She didn't even know if it was Mr. Rice who'd attacked her or just a shape-shifting demon! If it was she dreaded to think what had happened to the real Mr. Rice. He was probably a smoldering pile of ash on the floor of his office. 

She took a pencil and a pad of paper and sat down in an armchair, making sure it was up against the wall and facing the door. She wasn't taking any risks she didn't have to. Then she started writing. 

A minute or two later Prue orbed back into the attic with her parents. 

"Pyralis." Piper rushed over to her. "Prue said you were attacked by a demon?" 

"Yup." Pyralis didn't look up. "Our principal, to be exact. And yes, Leo, I'm fine." 

"Mr. Rice?" Piper was incredulous. 

"Yes, and I'm writing a spell right now. Or _trying_ to," she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. 

"Okay..." Piper looked at Leo, who shrugged. "Then I guess I'll go downstairs and make a potion or something." 

"Sure, whate-" 

There was a crash as the door to the attic was thrown across the room, to reveal a grinning Mr. Rice. 

"...ver." Pyralis started to stand up, her eyes wide with shock. 

"Oh sh-" she said, for the second time in as many days, before she was hit by an energy ball. 

* * * 

Pyralis groaned as she opened her eyes. She was lying on the couch in the attic, and everyone was staring at her. Great. That meant Leo had just healed her and they were doing the concerned relatives bit. 

She sat up slowly and stared back. "Did you get him?" she asked. 

"Yeah." Piper smiled at her. "Using your spell, with a little ad-libbing. Paige came back at just the right moment." 

"Great. That's lucky." 

Piper nodded her head. "Yeah, it was." 

"Great!" Pyralis nodded back. "And if it hadn't been for that piece of luck I would be dead, and it would all be your fault," she said icily. 

"What?" 

"You heard me!" Pyralis had had enough. It was time to do something, whoever's feelings it might hurt. "That's the second time in twenty-four hours I've almost died, Piper, and about the fifth that I've been attacked! _You_ are putting all our lives in danger just because of some misguided feeling of love you still have for Phoebe! She's _evil_, Piper, you can't change that, especially not after so long! Why can't you understand that?" 

Piper gasped. "How can you talk about your mother like that?" 

"Don't you remember? _It's what you taught me_." 

Piper was speechless. Her breathing was getting faster, and tears were starting to form in her eyes. 

"She's right, mom." Prue suddenly spoke up. "We can't go on like this." 

Piper opened her mouth as she turned to stare at her. 

"Piper," Leo said gently as he stepped in too, "I think you should listen to them. Phoebe's not coming back, at least not the Phoebe we knew. You have new priorities now, other people to care about and protect. They need you, Piper, they need you to be strong for them." 

Piper looked around. Everyone was looking at her, everyone united against her. She looked up at Leo, then over to her eldest daughter. 

She took a deep breath. 

"Okay," she said finally, holding back her tears. 

"You sure?" Leo asked her. 

She nodded resolutely. "Let's do it."   


**Author's note: **First, to answer Hjordis' question, yes, that's exactly what I'm doing (I knew I didn't explain it well enough...) :D   
Second, don't worry, nothing is ever easy. You'll see what I mean in a few chapters. In the meantime, everyone please tell me what you think (is it going to fast? I'm always scared I'm going too fast)! 


	7. Chapter 6 (2016)

**Chapter 6**

  
  


**2016**   
**** ****

I can't believe it was so easy to convince Piper. I guess it was the united front that did it. If I'd known it would be like that I would've done it months ago. 

It's all thanks to Prue really. If she hadn't gone to get her mom, and then agreed with me, it never would have happened. But it did, and now the moment I've been waiting most of my life for is closer than ever before. It's actually kinda scary. 

But the moment isn't upon us quite yet. First we have to figure out how the hell we're going to do it. I'll take a wild guess and say the Source is pretty well-protected. We're going to have to hone our powers to perfection, and be prepared for absolutely anything that could go wrong. We'll have to do research, write spells, make potions. It's going to be a lot of work. 

I wonder if I should practice throwing energy balls along with my other powers? I'm not really supposed to do it because it's a demonic power and could tempt me to become evil, but there are situations where I use it as a last resort, like today in the principal's office. The thing is, because I use it so rarely, it's my least developed power. Telekinesis, firestarting and shimmering I pretty much have down pat, but I'm still really insecure with the energy balls. So is it worth the risk to practice using them, or should I concentrate on perfecting the others? 

Sometimes I wish I wasn't part demon. That way I could have normal powers like everyone else and not have to worry as much about using them. The others have some really cool powers, too. Like Prue, she can freeze things and explode things almost better than Piper now. Phyre gets premonitions, which I wouldn't really want, but she also has the power of deflection, which is definitely one of the most useful powers you can have. The only thing Kalinda can do is levitate, and orb, obviously, but she's only six so her powers are still developing. 

But Phillip, Phillip has the best power of all. 

Mind Control. 

He can get in your mind and make you do anything he wants, though not for very long, admittedly. Still, he's one powerful ten-year-old. Plus he can orb, in fact all three of Piper and Leo's children can. Which makes Piper the only one unable to transport instantly from one place to another, but she doesn't seem to mind. Why should she, there's always one of us around who she can hitch a ride with if she needs one. Well, usually, anyway. 

All in all, we're a pretty powerful family. And if we can't defeat the Source, no one can.   


**Author's note** (in response to everyone's questions, suggestions etc.)**:******

**Barb **said: _I would like you to maybe throw a little something in regarding where Phoebe and Cole are and what they are doing._   
Well... I don't really wanna do that just yet. The way I want to do it is to have the "Phoebe and Cole in the past" storyline move a lot faster than the "Pyralis & co. in the 'present'" storyline, with years, months and weeks passing between chapters instead of hours, minutes and seconds, so eventually the Phoebe and Cole part will catch up to the rest of the story and you'll find out what they're doing. Unless of course everyone thinks that's a terrible idea, in which case I might reconsider :D   
_What happened to turn Pyralis from such a happy baby into a bitter teenager?_   
That question will be answered, hopefully satisfactorily, but not just yet. 

**Hjordis** said: _" Phyre"? How do even pronounce that?_   
You pronounce it like "Fire", as far as I know. And yes, it is a weird name, but it does begin with a P... 

**CharmedHPfanatic **said: _Were their feelings like Cole's was when Phoebe was still good? Or did Phoebe and Cole hate their child?_   
All I'm going to say to that is... Keep reading. I'm mean, I know :P   


Okay everyone, I'm sorry this chapter isn't so great, but I'm working on the next one already, I promise!   



	8. Chapter 7 (2002)

**Chapter 7**

  
  


**2002**   


"Are you sure?" Piper looked at her sister, concerned. 

"Yes!" Phoebe was pacing the living room. "I just touched the picture and I saw Cole throw a fireball at some demon, and the Seer was there, and that bitch of a secretary, and then the elevator doors started to open and they shimmered out. And then I came out and kissed him, not suspecting anything. And that was just _one_ of the things I saw!" 

"And you're certain it was in the past?" Paige asked. 

"Of course I am!" Phoebe finally stood still. "That was the day I told him I was pregnant." She sighed and sat down on the couch, head in hands. "It's all such a mess. I mean, what am I going to do?" 

"There's only one thing we can do," Paige said. She had that look on her face, the one she got when she was about to say something she didn't like. "We have to vanquish him." 

"No!" 

"We don't have enough power anyway," said Piper, not wanting to sit down in spite of being eight months pregnant. 

"Why not?" Paige looked perplexed. "We did it before." 

"No we _didn't_!" Phoebe raised her head and glared at Paige. "If we _had_, this wouldn't be happening. Anyway, I'm not going to vanquish Cole, he's my husband!" 

Paige glared right back. "He's _evil_, Phoebe!" 

"She does have a point," said Piper. 

"Not all of him is evil! There is still some of Cole left inside, he hasn't been completely taken over by the Source. If he had we'd all be dead by now." 

Paige took a breath to calm herself down. "Okay," she said. "What_ if,_ we could write a spell to _just_ vanquish the Source out of Cole's body?" 

"You think that would work?" Piper asked. 

"It's got to." Phoebe was already on her feet and on the way to the attic. 

The other two followed quickly. 

* * * 

"You ready?" Piper asked. 

Phoebe nodded. 

"Okay." Piper gave her sister a hug. "We'll be right here, waiting for your call." 

"Okay." Phoebe nodded again and turned to Leo. "Are you sure you'll be okay with Pyralis?" 

"We'll be fine, Phoebe." Leo jiggled his niece up and down. "I'm more worried about you." 

"Well don't be. Cole won't hurt me." Phoebe looked around. "I guess I'll see you later." 

"Good luck," Paige said, going over to give her a hug too. 

"Thanks." She let go of Paige and turned to put her hand on the door handle. She took a deep breath. "Okay," she said again. Then she left. 

Phoebe walked down the street at a brisk pace. She was afraid to slow down, if she did she might stop altogether. But she had to do this. She had to. 

The plan was this: Phoebe would go back home to the penthouse and wait until Cole was asleep before calling Piper and Paige. Then they would make a magic circle and say their newly rewritten spell to vanquish the Source from Cole's body. 

Simple enough, in theory. 

It was the practical part that worried Phoebe. 

* * * 

Phoebe forced herself to stop wringing her hands as the elevator doors opened. Cole was sat at the table working on the computer. He looked up when she entered. 

"Hi honey!" Phoebe said brightly, a fake smile plastered on her face. 

"Hi!" Cole smiled and got up. "Where have you been?" he asked as he walked over. 

"At the manor. Leo and Piper offered to take Pyralis tonight." 

"Really?" his smile widened as he put an arm round her. "In that case..." 

He lowered his head to kiss her, and she responded, but only for a second. Then she pushed him away. 

"No, Cole, um, I'm not feeling so good. That's why Leo and Piper have Pyralis." 

Cole looked at her. "You okay?" he asked, concerned. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine. Just need to lie down." She headed for the bedroom. 

"Do you need anything?" 

She turned around. "A little company might be nice." 

Cole shrugged and followed her into the bedroom. He took off his shoes and jacket and got into bed. Phoebe snuggled up to him. 

"Any better?" 

Phoebe nodded. "A little. Thanks." She closed her eyes. 

What was she doing?! She was lying in bed with the Source of all evil, voluntarily! There must be something wrong with her. She wasn't even scared. Then again, she was positive that Cole wouldn't hurt her. In fact she felt safer in his arms than anywhere else. This was strange. 

She almost felt bad that she was lying to him, even if it was to save him from the Source. But she knew she had to do it. She just hoped it worked, because if it didn't Cole would die. If the spell worked too well he would die along with the Source, and if it didn't work at all Phoebe would have to read the other spell with her sisters, which would definitely kill him. She hoped it wouldn't come to that, because she didn't know if she could do it. She loved Cole. And she wasn't sure if that love wasn't stronger than what she felt for her sisters. 

* * * 

Phoebe woke up a few hours later. Cole was fast asleep beside her. She carefully got off the bed and tiptoed into the living room. She picked up the phone and dialed. 

"Phoebe?" Piper picked up almost immediately. 

"Yes, it's me," she said quietly. "You can come over now." 

The phone went dead. A second later Paige orbed in with Piper. 

"Geez, what took you so long?" asked Phoebe, raising her eyebrows. 

"What took _you_ so long?!" Piper hissed, ignoring her sister's attempt at humor. "It's past midnight!" 

"Well I had to wait until he was asleep, didn't I? Come on, let's do it." 

The three sisters snuck into the bedroom and silently put the crystals into position around the bed. Energy shot up out of them as Phoebe placed the last one. 

Cole woke up. "Phoebe?" he asked, half asleep. He stood up and tried to take a step towards her, but was stopped by the circle. 

Phoebe looked at him. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, before going to stand with her sisters. 

"Prudence, Patricia, Penelope, Melinda..." she started, trying to keep her voice steady. 

The other two joined in. 

"Astrid, Elena, Laura and Grace   
Halliwell witches, we call upon thee   
The Source to help vanquish   
And Cole to free" 

As they chanted, a transparent figure was ripped from Cole's body. It was the old Source, the one they'd thought they'd vanquished. The figure was drawn upwards as if being sucked, and then, just as it was about to reach the ceiling, it exploded with an ear shattering bang. 

Cole slumped to the floor. 

"Cole..." Phoebe knelt down beside him. He was unconscious. "Paige, get us back to the manor." 

"Sure," Paige said kindly. She and Piper knelt down next to them and they orbed out. 

* * * 

Leo was on the living room floor playing with Pyralis when they arrived at the manor. 

"Leo," Phoebe said, lifting Cole onto the couch with the help of her sisters. "Help him." She saw Pyralis. "What's she doing down here at this time of night?" she asked. 

Leo shrugged as he went over to them. "Didn't want to go to bed. She missed you." He held his hands over Cole. Nothing happened. He looked at Phoebe. "There's nothing wrong with him, Phoebe. I can't heal someone who's in perfect health." 

"But if he's in perfect health how come he's still unconscious?" 

"Maybe his spirit is so weak it's not ready to cope with consciousness yet," said Paige. 

"That's possible," Leo said. "But whatever's the matter I can't do anything for him. I'm sorry." 

"That's okay." Phoebe took Cole hand and squeezed it. "At least he's himself again now." She straightened. "I guess I'd better put Pyralis to bed." 

"Not so fast." 

Leo and the sisters turned around at the sound of the voice. The Seer was standing in the hall, smiling. Behind her were a dozen or so demons. 

And a darklighter. 

Leo was shot before they had time to react. And then the demons attacked. 

The Charmed ones punched, stabbed and blew them up, and in the middle of it all the Seer stood, watching, smiling calmly. 

Paige caught an energy ball and threw it back at the demon, who stumbled backward and knocked over two more. Piper froze the energy bolts coming out of another's eyes and leapt out of the way before unfreezing them and letting them hit the demon coming at her from behind, then blew him up. Phoebe levitated in order to avoid a knife being thrown at her. 

Unfortunately this wasn't such a good idea. Several demons threw things at her now exposed body and she fell out of the air with a thump. 

"Hey!" Piper shouted. Several demons looked in her direction. "Pick on someone your own size," she said, blowing three of them up at the same time. 

Paige came at one from behind and broke a plate over his head. 

The one next to him threw an energy ball at her, but she caught it and threw it back. Then she was hit from behind. 

Piper blew up the demon coming at her then turned to face the one who'd attacked Paige. He was the last. 

He grinned at her. She grinned back. Then she blew him up. 

She rushed over to Paige and felt her pulse. She was still alive, but out cold. 

"Piper..." Phoebe said weakly. 

"Phoebe." Piper stood up. "Are you okay?" 

"...Seer..." Phoebe looked in the direction of the couch. 

Piper turned around. The Seer was advancing on Pyralis, who had climbed onto the couch and was clutching Cole's arm with all her might. 

"Hey!" Piper walked forward briskly. "Leave her alone." 

"Oh, don't worry." The Seer turned to face Piper. "I won't hurt her. I may have lost the Source... But the world can always use another demon.." 

"If you lay one finger on her..." Piper warned. 

"You'll what? Vanquish me?" The Seer grinned smugly. "You can't." She nodded at Paige. "Not without the Power of Three." She took a few more steps towards the couch. 

Piper prepared to rush her, but she turned around again, this time with a dagger in her hand. 

"You wouldn't want to hurt her, would you?" she asked Piper. 

Piper hesitated. 

"I didn't think so." The Seer smiled and went to take Pyralis' arm. "Come on now, little one." She tried to loosen her grip on Cole's arm. 

Pyralis didn't appreciate this. She let out a cry. 

"Now now," the Seer said, pulling a little harder. 

Pyralis let go of her father. The Seer smiled. Pyralis cried again and pointed at her. 

The Seer went up in flames. Pyralis latched back onto Cole's arm and put her thumb in her mouth. 

"Oh my God." Piper blinked her eyes in astonishment. "Phoebe, did you-" 

Phoebe was unconscious. 

"Oh no." Piper looked at her sisters, both lying on the floor, and wondered what to do next. 

"Piper." It was Leo, the darklighter's arrow still stuck in his chest. "Bring...Paige..." he croaked. 

Piper heaved Paige over to him. Wincing in pain, his extended his arm to heal her. 

Paige groaned as she came round. "What happened?" she asked. 

"I'll explain later," said Piper, helping her sit up. "Right now we need to help Leo." 

They didn't notice the demon on the floor next to Phoebe shimmer away. 

* * * 

Cole awoke with a start. He felt... different. And then he realized why. 

The Source was gone. He was free. 

"Cole..." Phoebe was squashed between him and the back of the couch, her head on his chest. 

He smiled at her and leant in to kiss her. 

Then he heard a noise. 

It was a quiet chuckling sound, and it was coming from the shadows. 

"I've always wanted to kill the Source," said a voice. A demon emerged. "And now here he is, completely powerless, and I get a Charmed one into the bargain. You really should have done a body count." 

"Don't you dare hurt her." Cole sat up. 

The demon grinned. "Funny, I don't think there's anything you can do about it." He raised his arm. 

And was hit by a fireball. 

Cole looked at his hand, confused. He hadn't really done that, had he? He turned to Phoebe, who was staring at him, mouth open in shock. 

The spell obviously hadn't worked quite the way she'd planned...   
  


**Author's note:** First, I'm really sorry it took me so long to write this chapter (don't you just hate homework?). Second, what did you think of _that_? I personally thought it was kinda fun. Hehe. 


	9. Chapter 8 (2016)

**Chapter 8**

  
  


**2016**   


The family, minus the two youngest, who were downstairs in bed, was sat in the living room with a lot of hot chocolate and cookies. They were discussing how to find information that could help them get close enough to Phoebe and Cole to vanquish them. 

"The Book of Shadows is the obvious place to look," Piper was saying, "and Leo could ask the Elders what they know." 

"Still," said Pyralis, "I don't think it will be enough. There's got to be any number of things protecting them, I don't really think the good side would know about _all_ of them." 

"What, so you just wanna _ask_ one of the bad guys how to kill the Source?" Paige was skeptical. 

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'interrogate', but yeah, pretty much." 

"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Phyre asked. 

"Not if we did it right. Anyway, what we're going to be doing after that is dangerous." 

"But that's something we _have_ to do," said Paige. "We shouldn't put ourselves at even more risk." 

"Even if it diminishes the other risk?" Pyralis gave Paige a challenging look. 

"Maybe Pyralis is right." Piper looked at Paige. "And we have interrogated a demon before..." 

"What?" Paige was confused. "When?" 

"Well, me and Prue summoned a demon, but we got the wrong one, so I froze him and then unfroze his head, and we made him tell us everything." 

"So let's just do that," said Prue. "I mean, it can't hurt us if it's frozen, can it?" 

"I dunno," Paige said, "It would have to be an upper-level demon in order for it to know the things we want to know. And a whole lot of upper-level demons are immune to our powers." 

"There must be some that aren't." Pyralis bit into a cookie. "It's just a matter of finding the right one. Anyway, the only other way I can see to find out these things would be to go undercover down there, and that really _would_ be dangerous." 

"What do you think, Leo?" Piper asked her husband, who was being unusually quiet. 

He shrugged. "I think you should do it. If you can find a suitable demon, that is." 

"Okay, then that's what we'll do." Paige looked round the room and everyone nodded in agreement. "So tomorrow morning, Pyralis will write a generic demon-summoning spell, Phyre and Piper will see if they can make a potion, and the rest of us will go stock up on witchy supplies. Then in the afternoon we summon a demon and find out what he knows. Is that okay with everyone?" 

Nobody protested. Shortly after they all went to bed. 

* * * 

"Elkor: Upper-level demon who feeds on the flesh of people hit by lightning. Shoots lightning bolts and has various other powers." Phyre looked up from the Book of Shadows. "What do you think?" 

"Nope," said Piper from her seat on the couch. 

"Yeah, 'various other powers'? That could mean anything." Paige said. 

They were looking in the Book for a demon to interrogate, and had been for the past two hours. Leo was downstairs with Phillip and Kalinda helping them train their powers. Everyone else except Phyre was slouched around the attic, extremely bored while she flipped through the pages. 

Pyralis groaned. "Come _on_, just just take this one and get it over with!" 

"No thank you," said Piper, "We're going to have plenty of opportunities to get killed soon enough, we don't need to add another one." 

"But I spent _hours_ on this spell and now it looks like we not even gonna be able to use it!" 

"What about the one for the Source?" asked Paige. 

"Done. The other one was fine anyway, it was just lacking power." 

Paige shook her head. "I don't understand, how can you get more power than that of the entire Halliwell line?" 

"I didn't need to. The problem with the other spell was that it was trying to draw from that power directly, and there just wasn't enough, well, bandwidth, so to speak, with only three people saying it. It's like trying to drink a gallon of water through one tiny straw, there's a lot there, but you only get a little at a time." 

"So you're saying we just need more people to say it?" 

"Sort of... Look, who knows how to draw from our ancestors' powers the best?" Pyralis grinned at Paige's perplexed expression, then went on: "Our ancestors themselves, of course! So..." She handed her aunt a piece of paper. "All you have to do is summon them and get them to say the spell with you. They may be ghosts, but they still have powers. And this way all it takes is one of us to say the spell." 

"Clever." Piper smiled at Pyralis. 

"Thank you. The one for the Queen is done too." 

"Let's see." Prue held out her hand and Pyralis gave her the spell. "Ooh, nasty..." she said, reading it. 

Pyralis just grinned. 

"I think I've found one." Phyre was reading a page in the book as fast as she could. "Jackson: An upper-level demon who achieved his status not because of his powers, but his formidable organizational skills. Helps keep the underworld running smoothly. His only power is the ability to burn skin by touching it with his hands." 

"Finally!" Pyralis got out of her chair and went to look at the Book. "Well, hurry up!" she told the others, scribbling something on a piece of paper. "Here's the spell." 

They all stood around the book and said the spell. A whirlwind of dust appeared in the center of the room. A moment later it died down and a confused-looking demon turned to face them. He just had time to open his mouth before Prue froze him. 

"Not much to look at, is he?" Pyralis commented, coming round to him before Piper unfroze his head. 

"What the...?" The demon looked around, then seemed to recognize them. "Oh, it's _you_. What's left of the Halliwells." He laughed. "What do you want?" 

"A little respect might be nice," said Paige. She moved closer to him and crossed her arms. "We also want you to tell us everything you know about the security measures surrounding the Source and his Queen, and any potential weaknesses we could exploit." 

Jackson laughed again. "I don't think so." 

"Fine, then I guess we'll just have to kill you and summon the next demon on our list." 

"You do realize you're dealing with an upper-level demon here." 

"I see, and that makes you immune to our powers, right?" Paige grinned at him. "A fouteen-year-old just froze you, Jackson. Just think what us adults could do." 

He looked away from her. "Okay," he said, sighing in exasperation. 

Paige smiled. "So what precautions has the Source taken to protect himself?" 

Jackson frowned at her. "He always has at least four bodyguards with him, each with a different power. There are several spells to protect his living and working area. There's one to hide it, and even if you do find it you have to know the password or you'll be killed on the spot. There is also an energy field covering the entrance which only lets evil pass. It can be made to disappear, but only from the inside. In the main room, the only room with an entrance, there are five servants, who have powers and tonics close at hand. And then of course there is the Source himself, who shares all his powers with his Queen. They remain undefeated despite several attempts by other demons to seize the throne." He sneered. "You'll be killed within seconds." 

"We'll see about that." 

"So how do we find them?" asked Piper. 

"There are several portals leading to the cavern outside. The only one I know of is in a country house in England." 

"Can you show us where it is on a map?" 

"No. The only thing I know is that it's called 'Black Manor'." 

"Nice name," said Paige, not quite seriously. "Anything else you'd like to tell us?" 

"Not really." 

"Okay then." Piper froze him, then looked at her daughters, who had been taking notes. "You get all that?" 

They nodded. 

"6 minutes, 21 seconds," said Pyralis, holding up a stopwatch. "Do we use the 5-minute memory-wipe or the 10?" 

"Better make it the 10," said Paige. 

Pyralis shrugged and threw her the potion. Paige took up position in front of Jackson, then nodded at Piper, who unfroze him. Paige threw the potion and the two of them rushed to get the reverse-summoning spell and read it. Jackson disappeared in much the same way he had come. 

"Well," said Piper, smiling, "That went well. I think it's time for some food." 

* * * 

The rest of the afternoon was spent training, honing their powers to perfection, the evening and most of the night coming up with a plan. Finally, at about 5 am, they had one that they were satisfied with. They all got up and headed for their beds, Pyralis going into the kitchen first for a glass of water. Everyone except Piper, that is... 

Leo had already taken a few steps towards the stairs before he realized his wife wasn't following. "You coming?" he asked, turning back. 

"In a minute," she squeaked. 

Leo went to sit next to her and saw tears running down her cheeks. "Hey, don't cry..." he told her, gently wiping them away. 

"I'm sorry..." She sniffed. "It's just... Soon I'll be the only one left. Prue's gone, and Phoebe will be gone, and I know there's Paige, but it's not the same, I didn't grow up with her. I miss Phoebe so much, Leo... And y'know, this is exactly what she must've felt like. Feeling like this is why she turned evil, and it was all my fault, it's all my fault that things got to be like this!" 

"Piper, don't say that. It's not your fault." Leo squeezed her hand. 

"But it is! I made her do it, I didn't give her the right kind of support, and even though she agreed to it, she never forgave me for-" she sobbed, "For-" 

"Hey, hey..." Leo put his arms around her as she cried harder. "It's okay, it wasn't you fault..." 

And from behind the kitchen door, Pyralis listened...   


**Author's note: **I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I'm sorry it took me so long to write this chapter, and I'm sorry it's not such a great chapter! In my defense, it was my 17th birthday on Monday, and on Friday I had a Biology test... But still, I'm very sorry! I promise I'll get the next chapter done by Tuesday evening at the _latest_, probably sooner! And then I will go back to my at-least-one-chapter-a-week routine! And, and... Well, please forgive me? I know I could have explained the planning process in more detail, but I didn't think it was that important, especially in comparison with that last scene. So, do you all want to know what Piper did, huh? It's pretty gross, actually, so gross I'm not sure if I shouldn't change the rating on this to R... But you'll find out soon enough. At least I think it will be a valid reason for Phoebe becoming evil. Okay, off to write chapter 9 before I give anything else away... 


	10. Chapter 9 (2016)

**Chapter 9**

  
  


**2016**   


What did she _mean?!_

Geez, you go to get a glass of water and then suddenly you hear a few sentences and have all these questions in your head. What did Piper do to make everything her fault, what didn't Phoebe forgive her for? Was it her fault or wasn't it? She said it was, but Leo said it wasn't... It's probably one of those things where it depends how you look at it. But how you look at _what_?! I mean, whatever it was must've been pretty huge for it to make Piper cry a decade and a half later, right? Did she do something to Phoebe? Or to Cole, maybe? Does Paige know about it? Was she a part of it? Argh, it's so frustrating, not knowing these things! 

And then there's the other thing that Piper said. That she missed Phoebe. I knew she did, of course, it's obvious, but I've never actually heard her say it. What kind of a person _was_ Phoebe, that Piper's still so attached to her? I guess she must have been a pretty good person, but if she was what could possibly have turned her evil? Then again, what kind of witch falls in love with a demon, anyway? Even if he is half human. And even if she did, surely a real Charmed One wouldn't turn evil just to be with him. Would she? 

I just keep realizing how little I actually know about my parents, and how much I wish I did. 

I'm still going to vanquish them of course, it's my duty. I'd just like to know. More than that, I'd like to _understand_. Why would someone who was apparently so good become so evil? 

And what did Piper _do_?!   


**Author's note: **Hehe... Don't worry, you'll find out in the next chapter. Pyralis won't, mind you, that won't happen for a while yet... but you wonderful readers will :D I'm working on the next chapter right now, I think it's going to be pretty long since there's a whole bunch of things I want to put in it... And yes, Lilian, I have the whole story planned out, you don't need to worry about that. And no, I'm not telling _any_ of you how it ends! Hehe, I love being mean :P By the way, thank you everyone for reviewing my story! I now have 50 reviews! Woohoo, PARTY! And chapter 10 will be up Sunday at the latest. And _now_, a review might be nice...? 


	11. Chapter 10 (2002)

**Chapter 10**

  
  
  
  


**2002**   


"Woah," said Cole, blinking rapidly. 

"What the hell was _that_?" Phoebe sat up, not taking her eyes of her husband's hand. 

"I think," Cole said slowly, "that I still have the Source's powers." 

"That's impossible!" 

"Then how else do you explain it?" Cole suddenly went up in flames and then reappeared a few feet away, standing up. "Huh." He raised his eyebrows. "That was kinda fun," he said, a grin spreading over his face. "I need to go try these powers out!" He disappeared again. 

"Cole!" shouted Phoebe, but he had already gone. She looked around to see if he was still somewhere in the manor, but she couldn't find him. She stared at the spot where he had been, her mind awhirl with ten billion thoughts at once. Why hadn't the spell worked properly? And what did Cole think he was doing, actually _using_ the Source's powers?! He of all people should _know _it could be dangerous! 

She stood up slowly and went upstairs to get Piper. She'd know what to do. But just as she was about to knock on Piper and Leo's door she heard Pyralis start to cry. Phoebe sighed and went into her own bedroom instead, where Pyralis was sat up in her crib bawling her eyes out. She picked her up and took her tea off the nightstand, then sat on the bed with her. Pyralis calmed down a little after having a drink, but started crying again the moment Phoebe tried to put her back in her crib. Phoebe sighed. She did not want to have to deal with teething right now. 

She gave Pyralis a toy to chew on and then started walking up and down the room with her, hoping she would calm down soon so she could figure out what to do about Cole. She was really starting to feel angry with him for being so stupid. 

There was a knock at the door and Phoebe turned around, hoping it would be him. Instead Paige stepped into the room. 

"I'm sorry," said Phoebe, "did she wake you?" 

"Yeah... I wasn't sure you'd heard her from downstairs." 

Phoebe looked out of the window absently. "Oh." 

"So how's Cole?" asked Paige. 

Phoebe looked away and let out a little sigh. 

"Phoebe?" Paige raised her eyebrows. 

Phoebe looked back at her sister reluctantly. "The spell... It didn't work quite how it was supposed to. Cole still has the Source's powers, and now he's gone off to God knows where to 'try them out'." 

"What?!" Paige frowned. "What kind of idiot wou-" Her sentence was cut off as she was thrown through the doorway and crashed into the wall with a thump. 

"Oh my God!" Phoebe rushed out into the hall and knelt down beside her sister. "Paige, are you okay?" 

Paige stared up at her, more than a little confused. "Did you just throw me against the wall?" 

Phoebe grimaced guiltily. "Actually... I think it was the baby." 

"Pyralis? But why would she...?" 

"No, no, the other baby. The one inside me." 

Paige looked at Phoebe's stomach. "Okay, that's even more confusing." 

"What's going on?" A sleepy looking, pyjama-clad and very pregnant Piper emerged from her bedroom, closely followed by Leo. 

"Phoebe's unborn child just tried to kill me," Paige told her, getting up slowly. 

"What? Y-you... That isn't normal." 

"Tell me about it." 

"Leo?" Piper looked up at her husband. "Is that even possible?" 

"It shouldn't be... Maybe I should go talk to the Elders. I'll be back soon." Leo kissed Piper goodbye and orbed out. 

"Okay Phoebe," Piper said to her sister, "Why would your baby want to kill Paige?" 

"Well... It might have something to do with the fact that she called Cole an idiot." 

"Paige, why would you do that?" Piper looked at her quizzically. 

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because he seems to think just because he's still got the Source's powers it's alright to use them?!" 

Paige was, again, thrown against the wall. 

"Ow!" She looked at Phoebe. "Can't you _stop_ it from doing that?!" 

"I don't think so... Sorry." Phoebe helped Paige up. 

Piper was looking at them both disbelievingly. "Cole's still got the Source's powers?!" 

"Yeah..." Phoebe looked guilty. "The spell didn't quite work out the way I'd planned." 

"But how is that even possible?! Aren't the Source's powers a part of him?" 

Paige shrugged. "Maybe they've become a part of Cole's body instead. They have been there for almost half a year." 

Pyralis, annoyed that no one was paying attention to her complaints, wailed loudly. 

"Look, guys," Phoebe shifted Pyralis' position in her arms, "Can we deal with this later? I really need to get Pyralis back to sleep." 

"I'll do that," Paige offered. "I think you could do with some sleep too." 

"Thanks," Phoebe said gratefully, handing Pyralis to her aunt. "You're a star." 

"Okay..." said Piper, who would really have preferred it if they'd sorted things out now. "But first thing tomorrow we need to discuss this!" 

"Okay." The other two nodded their heads, then said their goodnights and went to their separate rooms. 

Phoebe didn't fall asleep for quite some time. 

* * * 

Phoebe was woken by Cole brushing her hair out of hair face. 

"Cole..." 

"Morning." He smiled. 

She sat up and was about to launch into a long speech about the Source's powers and the dangers and what the hell did he think he was doing, but he beat her to it. 

"These powers are amazing! I can do anything I want with them! Look, look..." He he threw a fireball at a photograph on the wall, then appeared in front of it and caught it before it could hit. "Pretty cool, huh?" 

"Cole! Wh-" 

"Wait, wait, I haven't told you the best part yet!" He sat down next to her, excited. "I ran into a demon, right, one I've always hated but the Source kept around because he was useful. One fireball, and he was gone, just like that! Bu-" 

"You _killed_ him?" 

Cole looked at her in confusion. "Phoebe, I vanquished a demon, you should be happy." He shrugged it off and continued, "Anyway, the _best_ thing was," and here his smile grew even wider as he lowered his voice, "He thought I was still the Source." 

Phoebe stared at him, mouth open, not knowing what to say anymore. 

"Have you any idea what this _means_, Phoebe? I could rule the underworld and make sure no one ever hurt you again." 

"Cole, you can't _do_ that! You can't be the Source and be good at the same time, it doesn't work that way! We have to find a way to get these powers out of you, or-" 

"No!" Cole said, surprisingly angry. "You can't do that to me Phoebe, not again! I can't live without powers, I can't function properly." He got up and walked a few paces, agitated. "You know what," he said, turning back to her, "I'll prove it to you. I'll prove that I can do it!" He disappeared, surrounded by flames. 

"Cole!" Phoebe sighed in exasperation. What was _wrong_ with him? He seemed almost intoxicated by these new powers. She understood that it had been hard for him to lose his powers last time, but these weren't even his! She could already see the effect this new freedom was having on him, and it scared her. If they didn't do something she didn't know what would happen. She wasn't sure she _wanted_ to know. 

"Phoebe?" Paige knocked on the door. "Piper says breakfast is ready." 

Phoebe didn't respond. She wasn't sure she wanted to go downstairs right now. 

"Phoebe?" 

Suddenly the door was pushed open and hit Paige in the face. 

"Paige!" Phoebe shouted, alarmed, but Paige just looked at her and went downstairs, holding her hand to her bloody nose. 

Phoebe followed her, stopping for a moment to look at the door. It wasn't even supposed to open outwards, some bits of wood had been broken off the edges. But that wasn't important right now. She continued down the stairs. 

In the kitchen Piper was making pancakes. Leo was sat at the table next to Pyralis, reading a newspaper, and Pyralis was eating slices of apple. Paige was also sat at the table, leaning back and holding a handkerchief to her nose. 

"Morning sweetie," Piper said. "How are you?" 

"Not too good." Phoebe sat down and put her head in her hands. "I'm so worried about Cole, Piper, what if he goes evil again?" 

Paige looked like she was about to say something, then thought better of it. 

"Why is Pyralis eating an apple?" Phoebe said suddenly. "She doesn't like apples." 

Piper looked back at her niece. "Oh, I peeled the skin off for her. Just like you used to eat apples when you were a kid." 

"Huh. I never thought of that." 

Piper shrugged. Phoebe stared into space. That revelation hadn't exactly made her feel better. 

"I'm going to look in the Book of Shadows for something to help Cole," she announced after a moment, standing up. 

"But you haven't eaten anyth..." Piper trailed off as Phoebe left. "Never mind..." 

Paige just shook her head. She didn't think Cole wasn't the only one who needed help... 

* * * 

Phoebe sat in an armchair, the Book resting on her knees. The only thing she had found that was even remotely connected to Cole's situation was a binding spell, and somehow she didn't think he'd be very happy if she bound his powers without his consent. If only she could get him to see reason! 

She turned the page and gasped when she saw what was written there: 

**Children between Demons and Witches**   
Extremely powerful beings who can be swayed to either Good or Evil. The powers, if any, exhibited before birth and in early infancy are good indicators as to which side the child will choose. If the powers are demonic the child should be destroyed immediately, for the greater good. Some of the most powerful and dangerous demons in history have been part witch, so this is most certainly a prudent course of action. 

"You find anything?" 

Phoebe jumped as she heard Piper's voice. 

"No," she said, slamming the book shut. "I, uh, I'm gonna go for a walk." She snuck past her sister and went downstairs. 

"Okay..." Piper said to no one. She just wished she knew what was going on in her sister's head. 

* * * 

The park was mostly empty. It was cold, windy and looked like it could start to rain any second, not the kind of weather most people would want to be out in. This suited Phoebe fine. She walked along the path, trying to sort her head out. 

How could they expect someone to kill their own baby, even if it was "for the greater good"? It went against everything Phoebe believed in, everything she felt a good witch should believe in. Besides, surely you couldn't be _certain_ that a child was going to be evil, could you? 

Phoebe shook her head. If there was one thing she wasn't going to do, it was kill her child. 

Suddenly she felt someone grab her from behind and put a knife to her throat. It was almost touching her skin. 

"Hello witch," the demon hissed in her ear. 

She grabbed the hand holding the knife and threw him over her shoulder. He fell in front of her and she took up a fighting stance, readying herself for his next attack. He got up slowly and then advanced, the knife in his hand and a grin on his face. He laughed. 

And then Cole appeared next to him and killed him with a fireball. 

He turned to Phoebe and smiled, looking at her as if expecting something. 

He didn't get anything. 

"A thank you might be nice," he said finally. 

Phoebe remained silent. She had no idea what to say to him. 

"Well, it's official," Cole said after another silence. "I'm still the Source." 

"Cole..." Phoebe said with a sinking feeling. He was slipping away from her, and she didn't know how to stop it. "Why did you have to do that?" she asked, a hint of anger in her voice. 

The she jumped as a dog suddenly ran up and started barking at them. 

Cole killed it. 

Phoebe looked at the spot where the dog had been, too shocked to say anything. 

"Scruffy!" A man with a leash in his hand was staring at them from about a hundred yards away, mouth open in fear. 

So Cole killed him too. 

Phoebe gasped and looked at him in disbelief. He took a step towards her. 

"Don't touch me!" She leapt back. 

"Phoebe..." Cole didn't even seem to understand that he'd done something wrong. 

Phoebe took another step back. "And don't even think of coming to the manor, or anywhere near Pyralis!" 

Cole's expression now showed that he knew he'd done something to upset her. He didn't want her to go. 

"Just stay away!" 

Phoebe turned and ran away from him, breaking into tears at the same time. She couldn't believe it, she couldn't understand how he could do something like that! 

She hadn't been able to stop it. Cole was evil. 

* * * 

"Phoebe?" Piper asked, watching her sister come in and rush upstairs without even acknowledging them. She looked at Leo, who was sat on the floor next to her playing with Pyralis. He shrugged. Piper got up and followed Phoebe to her room. 

"Phoebe?" she said again, poking her head round the door. "Can I come in?" 

Phoebe nodded. She was sat on her bed, crying. 

"Phoebe, honey..." Piper went to sit next to her. "What's wrong?" 

"I think I've lost him, Piper," Phoebe squeaked. "Cole... I saw him, in the park. He killed a guy, and I don't mean a demon. He didn't give it a second thought. And he's still the Source, even though it's just him in his body now, and he's happy about it! I just don't understand, Piper, why did this have to happen to me?! And my baby trying to kill my sister isn't helping, and, and," she let out a huge sob, "it's all just falling apart!" 

"Oh, Phoebe..." said Piper, hugging her sister tightly. 

Phoebe hugged her back, crying. "I feel so helpless." 

So did Piper. 

* * * 

"What do you think?" Paige asked Piper that evening. She had gone up to the attic to read the Book of Shadows after work while Piper was cooking dinner, and had found the page about part-demon children. 

"I don't know..." Piper looked at the book, which was lying on the kitchen table. "It seems a bit drastic. And we've never had any problems with Pyralis." 

"This baby is different. Pyralis didn't have any powers until months after she was born. This one has powers weeks after conception, and I'm pretty darn sure they're demonic." 

"I know..." Piper said reluctantly. "And you're probably right. But I don't think Phoebe will see it that way." 

"Yeah... Okay, what if we try binding the baby's powers? Then we can use the..." Paige looked at the book, "_other_ option as a last resort." 

"Good idea. I'll mix a binding potion into her food." 

"Shouldn't we tell her?" 

"I dunno. I have a hunch that baby won't just let its powers be bound. It's probably best to tell her after. And put the Book back upstairs, we don't want to set off any alarms. Then you can tell Phoebe the food is ready." 

"Okay." Paige closed the heavy book and took it back to the attic. When she passed Phoebe's room she heard crying coming from inside, but it had subsided by the time she got back down. 

"Phoebe," she said, making sure she wasn't standing within slamming-range of the door. "Supper's ready." 

"Thanks," came the muffled reply. 

Paige headed back to the kitchen where Piper had just finished setting the table. They were joined by Phoebe a moment later. 

"Hey sweetie," Piper said as Phoebe took a seat. "Are you feeling any better?" 

"No, not really." Phoebe sighed. 

"Here," her sister said, putting a plate of food in front of her. "Maybe it'll help if you eat something." 

Phoebe reached for the fork, then jumped as the plate flew off the table and across the room, where it smashed against the wall right next to where Paige was standing. 

"Woah." Phoebe looked up at Piper. "What did you put in that?" 

Piper sighed. "A binding potion. I didn't tell you in case something like that happened." She gestured toward the pieces of shattered plate on the floor." 

"Yeah, well... Obviously my baby doesn't want his powers to be bound." 

"Then we only have one option left," Paige said, sitting down. She waited until Piper was seated too, then continued. "I looked in the Book of Shadows, Phoebe, and it says the best thing to do in this kind of situation..." she took a deep breath, "is to destroy the baby before it can do anything worse." 

Phoebe stared at her, mouth agape. "I, I can't believe you're even suggesting this!" She looked at her sisters angrily, standing up. 

Piper turned in her chair, trying to look sympathetic. "I know Phoebe, but this isn't just your and Cole's baby, he's also got a part of the old Source inside of him. And that part could turn out very, very dangerous." 

"No!" Phoebe backed away from them, a betrayed look of disbelief on her face. "There is no way I'm going to kill my own baby! Especially not now that I've lost my husband." 

There was an uncomfortable silence. Then Phoebe turned around and hurried back upstairs. 

Paige looked guilty. "That didn't go very well." 

"You're right about that." Piper sighed, then went into the sunroom where Leo was giving Pyralis her supper. "Looks like you'll be putting her to bed tonight," she told him. 

"Sure." He nodded at her, the turned his attention back to his niece. 

"You sure Phoebe should be away from Pyralis so much?" Paige asked as she followed Piper up to the attic. 

"Not really... But to be honest, I think we should keep her away from the demon-baby. Who knows who he'll try to hurt next." 

"So you agree that he's evil?" 

"Ohh yeah." Piper opened the attic door and went over to the chest of witchy supplies. 

"So what are we going to do about it?" Paige asked as she closed the door. 

"We," said Piper, holding up some candles, "are going to get some friendly advice." 

She put the candles in a circle and lit them, then went over to the Book of Shadows and started turning the pages. 

"Ah, here it is." 

Paige came over and looked over her shoulder. "Who are we summoning?" she asked when she saw which spell it was. 

Piper shrugged. "Whoever wants to come." She took Paige's hand. "Come on." 

They said the spell: 

Hear these words, hear my cry   
Spirit from the other side   
Come to me, I summon thee   
Cross now the great divide 

There was a wind and some white lights appeared. A moment later they turned into the transparent figure of an older lady. 

"Hello darlings," she said, smiling. 

Piper smiled back. "Paige, this is Grams. I don't think you've met." 

"Hi," Paige said. 

"Hello dear." She smiled at Paige again and then turned back to Piper. 

"I take it you need my advice?" 

"Yeah..." Piper sighed and sat down on the couch. "How much do you already know?" 

"Everything, dear. I've been watching." 

"So what do you think we should do?" asked Paige, sitting next to her sister. 

"The same thing you do. You have to convince Phoebe that destroying her child is the right thing to do, horrible as it may be. If not, a force of evil may arise which is greater than any before it." 

"But _how_?" Paige looked at her grandmother questioningly. "Like she said before, she's just lost her husband." 

"Yeah," said Piper, "But why did Cole turn evil, anyway? He never turned back when he was still part demon." 

"Well, you know the saying." Paige looked at her and shrugged. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." 

"I agree that that's the main reason. It was just too much to handle, especially all at once," Grams told Piper. 

"I guess that makes sense." Piper looked up at Grams. "And you also agree that vanquishing Phoebe's baby is the best thing to do?" 

She nodded. "Most definitely." 

Piper sighed. "Then I guess we'll have to do it. One way or another, we'll have to convince her." 

* * * 

"_You_ are going to have a little baby brother. Yes you are. A little baby brother to play with..." 

Paige entered the kitchen and raised her eyebrows at Piper. Piper shrugged and made a face. She didn't know what to do. 

Phoebe was giving Pyralis her breakfast and telling her all about the little brother she was going to have. Not good. 

"Phoebe..." Paige started. 

Phoebe glared at her. 

Paige sighed and went to help Piper with the food. 

"_Now _what?" she asked under her breath. 

"I don't know..." Piper looked over at Phoebe. "I don't think she's in a very receptive mood." 

Paige shook her head. "How the hell are we supposed to do this?" 

"You're gonna be his big sister," Phoebe was saying. She took Pyralis' hand and put it to her stomach. "So you'll have to watch out for-" 

She tensed with a sharp intake of breath. After a second she looked up at Pyralis' face and slowly got to her feet, a look of shock on her face. 

Pyralis grinned at her. 

This was obviously too much. Phoebe fled into the living room. 

Pyralis, confused at her mother's sudden departure, started to cry. 

Piper and Paige looked at each other. Then by silent agreement Paige went to calm Pyralis down and Piper went in search of Phoebe. 

She found her sat on the couch in the living room, staring into space with eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. 

"What did you see?" she asked gently, sitting down next to her. 

"A boy," Phoebe said quietly, the expression of shock still on her face. "About three years old... He was laughing, and he had a fireball in his hand. And in front of him was a little girl, and she was backing up against the wall... That wall right there," she said, pointing to the wall by the stairs. "And she was screaming for her mommy, but nobody came. And then her back was touching the wall and she waved her hand, kinda like Prue used to do, but nothing happened, so she tried to run... And then he killed her. And Piper," she looked at her sister, and Piper saw tears starting to form in her eyes, "I just know that girl was Pyralis." 

"So the boy was..." 

Phoebe nodded, sniffing. "Piper, I don't know what to do." 

"I think it looks like you're going to lose one of your children." Piper looked at her sympathetically. "And you're going to have to choose which one." 

Phoebe shook her head. "How am I supposed to do that?" 

"Well..." Piper put an arm round her. "You can either choose your unborn son, who will probably kill Pyralis and turn out evil, or you can choose your daughter, who is in the other room right now wondering where you've got to and loves you more than anything." 

Phoebe sighed. "I know. We have to do it. But Piper," she said, shaking her head, "I feel horrible already." 

"I know sweetie. But it really is for the best, you've gotta remember that." 

Phoebe nodded. After a moment they went back into the kitchen. Phoebe picked Pyralis up our of her chair and kissed her on the head, then looked at Paige. "I guess it's time to get this evil out of me." 

* * * 

By the power of the sun, the stars and the moon   
Remove this baby from my womb 

Phoebe chanted, holding her sisters' hands. 

Nothing happened. 

"Is that it?" Piper asked Paige. 

"Hang on." Paige went over to the book. "No... There's supposed to be a bright glow. I don't think it worked." 

"Great," said Piper. "Now what?" 

"I have an idea..." Paige grimaced. "But you're not going to like it." 

"What, what is it?" 

"Well... I could orb the baby out of Phoebe and then you could blow it up." 

"Eew." 

"Yup." 

"Phoebe?" Piper turned to look at her questioningly. 

"I just want this to be over with." she shook her head. "Do what you have to do." 

"Okay..." 

"Okay?" Paige asked. 

Piper nodded. 

Paige took a deep breath. "Baby!" she cried, holding out her hand. 

A mass of red slimy stuff appeared in her hand. Then it moved, which made Piper jump. She blew it up, and little bits of red flew everywhere. 

"Eew." Paige shook her hands. 

Piper looked at Phoebe, who had her hands on her stomach was staring at the hand Paige had held her baby in. 

"You okay?" Piper asked. 

Phoebe looked at her. "I need a walk," she said, then rushed downstairs, trying not to cry. 

"Phoebe!" Piper started after her, then felt a sharp twinge in her stomach. "Uh-oh..." 

"What is it?" Paige asked from the other side of the room, picking Pyralis up from her spot on the floor. 

"I think I just had a contraction." 

"You sure it's not just Braxton-Hicks?" Paige came over and put a hand on her sister's stomach. 

"I don't know." Piper shook her head. "It doesn't matter though, I need to find Phoebe." 

"Piper, your due date isn't for another three weeks. We need to get you to hospital." 

"But-" 

"No buts! Phoebe will be fine. Come on now, I'll drive." 

* * * 

Phoebe was anything but fine. 

She stood in the elevator in the penthouse, wringing her hands. She needed to see Cole. She wasn't sure why. 

When the doors opened he was sat at the table, eating a bagel and working at the computer at the same time. He looked up. 

"Phoebe..." he said, surprised. 

She took a few steps towards him. "I..." she tried to hold back her tears, "I killed our baby. I thought you should know..." She sniffed. 

He came over to her and hugged her, she didn't resist, instead hugging him back. 

"I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again," he whispered. 

"Yeah, well... I just..." she pulled away from him a little. "I'd better be going," she said. But she didn't move. 

Cole looked at her for a moment. Then he kissed her. 

She kissed him back. 

"I love you," Cole told her when they broke apart. 

"I thought evil couldn't love." 

"Then what is it I'm feeling right now, stronger than ever before?" 

"Oh Cole..." She hugged him again. "Why does everything have to be so complicated?" 

"It doesn't." 

"What do you mean?" 

He pulled away and put his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Stay with me, Phoebe. We can rule the underworld together, we can do whatever we want! No more worrying, no more losing people fighting evil... We can get Pyralis, and-" 

"No," she cut him off. She looked at him. He wasn't sure what she was saying no to. "Not Pyralis. I can't even think about her right now... Every time I do, I see that little boy I just killed, and I feel so guilty I just want to lie down and die..." She looked away. "I'm a terrible mother anyway, she'll be better off without me." 

"Phoebe, you're not a terrible mother." 

"Yes I am! What kind of mother kills her own child?!" 

She started to cry. Cole pulled her into another hug. 

"I'll deal with that later, okay?" she said after a moment. 

There was a pause. 

"Does this mean you're staying with me?" Cole asked. 

She looked at him. "We can do whatever we want?" 

He nodded. 

"No more worrying?" 

"No more worrying." 

"And no more people I care about dying?" 

He shook his head. "No more people dying." 

She took a deep breath. 

"Yes."   


**Author's note:** Well, well?! What did you think? Huh, huh?! Do you think that's a plausible reason for them turning evil? And Piper blew up Phoebe's baby! I tried my best not to make that part to gross, I was going to have the baby have black Source eyes or make a noise or something but then I thought that would be a little over the top. Anyway, the main thing I want you to tell me is IS IT PLAUSIBLE? I mean, the reason they turn evil (okay, they're not really that evil yet... It's gonna be a gradual process) and the reason Piper feels so guilty and the reason they left Pyralis behind (though that last thing will be extrapolated on more in the next (and probably last) "past" chapter). And I did tell you it would be long... Anyway, please review because I really want to know if my reasoning was sound, and also my characterization, and well, yeah. I'm kinda excited to have finished this chapter, can you tell? 


	12. Chapter 11 (2016)

**Chapter 11**

  


**2016**   


It was Friday. The week had been spent being as normal as possible (Piper didn't want to have to explain yet another absence to three different schools), but also feeling worried, apprehensive, and in some cases uncertain. 

And tomorrow they were going to do it. 

Leo watched as Piper pottered around in the kitchen. He was worried about her. She she hadn't said anything else to him about what had happened with Phoebe, but he could see it was still bothering her. She blamed herself for Phoebe becoming evil, and Leo wasn't sure she would be able to do what she had to do if she was wracked with guilt like this. But she wouldn't talk to him, she wouldn't talk to Paige, she wouldn't even talk to her mother. 

He could only think of one more thing to try. 

* * * 

"I don't know, Leo. It's kinda against the rules." 

"But she_ needs_ this. Anyway, since when have you cared about rules?" 

"Since I had a lot of time to study them and think about how most of them actually make sense. Like how she should move on before she sees me. And both you and I know that she hasn't." 

"It's been fifteen years!" 

"That doesn't change anything." 

"Well maybe this will _help_ her move on. Please, I don't know what else to do. If she suddenly changes her mind tomorrow..." 

There was a pause. And then a sigh. 

"Okay. But if the Elders kick up a fuss..." 

"I know, I know, it's all my fault. Thanks, Prue." 

Prue smiled. 

* * * 

"Piper?" Leo opened the door to the attic and called down the stairs. "Could you come up here a minute?" 

Piper put the spoon down and sighed. These cookies would never get done if Leo kept interrupting her. "Coming!" she said, leaving the kitchen and going upstairs. 

When she opened the attic door there was no sign of Leo. But there was someone else. Piper stared. 

"Prue?" she asked, her voice catching in her throat. 

"Hi sweetie." Prue, slightly transparent as most ghosts were, smiled at her little sister and sat down on the couch. "Why don't you sit down?" 

Piper came over slowly, not taking her eyes off Prue. She was having a hard time grasping the fact that she was here, that she was finally seeing her big sister again. She sat down tentatively. "Wh-, wha...?" she managed. 

"What am I doing here?" Prue gave her sister another reassuring smile, since taking her hand wasn't really a possibility. "Leo asked me to come. He said you needed someone to talk to." 

"Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about..." 

"Oh really," said Prue, her tone serious. She looked Piper square in the face. "Not even Phoebe?" 

Piper looked down and bit her lip. 

"Ah, you see? Now come on, tell me what's going on in your head." 

Piper opened her mouth, not knowing where to start. "I..." 

"Phoebe," Prue said, sensing her sister's dilemma. "Tell me what comes into your mind when I say 'Phoebe'." 

Piper's mouth stayed open for a second, then she closed it and slowly shook her head. "She's my sister..." She looked back up at Prue. "She's my sister and I'm supposed to kill her tomorrow." 

Prue gave her sister an encouraging look, urging her to continue. 

"And it's all my fault." Piper said, avoiding Prue's eyes for a second. "It's my fault she's evil and it's my fault she's going to die." 

"How can it possibly be your fault?" 

"I murdered her baby, Prue!" Piper raised her voice as she wiped away a tear which had started to form in her eye. "Not only that, I actually _persuaded_ her to let me do it!" 

"But isn't that a good thing? That she gave her consent?" 

"No, Prue, you don't understand!" Piper looked around the room, then sighed and stood up. "I _used_ her confused state of mind to make her agree to something she never would have otherwise, just to make _myself_ feel better about doing something I knew was wrong!" 

"You did what it said in the Book of Shadows, what could possibly be more _right _than that?" 

"My _instinct_, that's what!" Piper pointed at her own chest to illustrate her point. "The instinct that was telling me that this was an innocent little baby who had never done anything to hurt _anyone_-" 

"- Except Paige -" Prue interjected. Piper didn't seem to hear her. 

"-and who deserved a chance to prove himself just like everyone else. I mean, you of all people, Prue, should understand about putting instinct above rules!" 

"Yeah, and look where that got me..." Prue muttered. "Piper, you did what you thought was best." 

"No I didn't. I just followed the rules. With Paige it's forgivable, you know? She'd only been a witch a few months, but I should've known better! I should've let him live, then Phoebe would still be good and all this wouldn't be happening," said Piper, becoming more emotional with each word. 

"Okay," said Prue in her let's-be-reasonable voice. "But what's to say that Phoebe wouldn't have become evil anyway? The death of her baby wasn't the _reason_ for her turning, Piper, it was just the final push. The actual reason is far more complicated. In fact it probably started when I died, though I don't think Cole's now-I'm-evil-now-I'm-not routine could've helped much... But with all those things that push could just as easily have been something else. What if Phoebe's premonition had come true, what if Pyralis had been killed by her own brother? Or what if he had killed Phoebe, too, what if he had killed all of you? He could've become the most powerful Source ever, even more powerful than Cole and Phoebe are now. You could have lost a lot more than you have." 

"But that still doesn't change the fact that I _killed_ a baby!" 

"I know. But it does mean that what you did was the best course of action." A small grin appeared on Prue's face. "The most... _prudent_." 

A little smile started to tug at Piper's lips. Then she shook her head. "I just miss you and Phoebe so much..." 

"I know, sweetie. I know. But I'm here now. I've always _been_ here. They just wouldn't let you see me until now." 

"Now that they're scared my love for my sister is stronger than my sense of duty." 

Prue looked away. 

"It's okay, Prue... They may be right. I just don't seem to know right from wrong anymore." 

"Piper... You just can't let yourself think of Phoebe as our sister now. The sister we knew is gone, and she's not coming back, however much we may want to believe that she is." Prue looked across the attic to a picture of the three of them which was standing on a table. She sighed. "But the Phoebe we knew would _want_ you to do this. She would have seen what she's become as a fate worse than death." 

* * * 

Pyralis hurried down the stairs as quietly as she could. She had just gotten home and had gone up to the attic to check something in the Book of Shadows when she had heard voices. Piper's voice, and another she had never heard before. So she had listened. And what she had heard had finally made her have enough of not knowing. It had also given her an idea. 

She closed the door to her room behind her and pulled the drawer from under her bed. She took the clothes off the top and opened the old wooden box underneath it. From the box she took paper, an old tin bowl, five candles, a cigarette lighter and a small knife. In her mind she put the finishing touches on her spell as she arranged the candles and lit them. Then she cut her right index finger and said the spell as she wrote a date on a piece of paper with the blood. 

"Hear these words, hear my cry   
Help me break the bonds of time   
Bring my mother here to me   
Her spirit from the date I write" 

She picked up a candle and set the rolled up piece of paper on fire, throwing it into the bowl. Then she put the candle back in place and waited. 

A cold wind started to blow in the room and Pyralis suddenly heard what sounded like whispering coming from all around her. She shivered. 

Then the wind and whispering vanished, and there was a woman standing in the center of the room. It was Phoebe. 

Phoebe blinked rapidly and shook her head. "Wha, wha... Who are you?" She looked around. "And what have you done to my bedroom?" 

"I'm Pyralis. And this is my bedroom now." 

"Pyralis?" Phoebe stared at her daughter in disbelief. "But you're only..." She motioned with her hands. 

"Two weeks old, yeah. I wanted to get a you from after I was born but before Prue died." 

"What? What do you mean, before Prue died?" 

Pyralis sighed. Patience had never been one of her strong points. "Why don't you sit down?" she said, sitting on the bed herself. "I'll explain." 

Phoebe obeyed, still looking a little confused. 

"Okay." Pyralis nodded. "The year is 2016, and I brought you here because I wanted to see what you were like for myself. I mean, everyone's always saying how great you were, but I've never really been able to believe that, because if you were that good then why would you leave me?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"My dad became the Source and you left me here while you went off to be his Queen and rule the underworld with him." 

Phoebe laughed nervously. "This is some kind of joke, right?" 

Pyralis didn't say anything. 

Phoebe turned serious again. "It's not a joke, is it?" 

"I wish it was." 

"So..." Phoebe shook her head. "Prue died?" 

"Yeah... not long after I was born. A demon called Shacks killed her. She said just now that that was probably was started making you evil." 

"Just _now_?" 

"Yeah. Her ghost did, anyway. She was trying to convince Piper to kill you." 

"_What?!_" 

"Well, we kinda have to. Cole's the most powerful Source ever. You have no idea what kind of things he's done. And you've done, for that matter." 

"Like what?" 

"Like killing Paige's husband, for one!" 

"Who the hell is Paige?" 

"Ohhh, that's right, you don't know her yet. Paige is your younger sister, and it's a long story." 

"Okay, let me get this straight. Prue's dead, and we've got a new sister instead?" 

Pyralis shrugged. "If that's the way you want to put it." 

"And me and Cole are evil and rule the underworld." 

Pyralis nodded. 

"And you're going to kill us?" 

Pyralis nodded again. "Tomorrow." 

"Tomorrow?!" Phoebe got up and walked a few paces. "I don't believe this. _Why_ did you bring me here again?" 

"I told you... I've never met you, not properly. I wanted to." 

Pyralis looked up at her mother, and for the first time Phoebe actually looked back properly. And what she saw in her daughter's eyes scared her. 

There was strength there, and courage, and defiance. But there were also other things. Fear. Anger. Hatred. Vulnerability. And a terrible sadness that made Phoebe want to cry. 

She stood there, mouth open, and didn't know what to say. 

Pyralis looked away. "I'll send you back now if you like." 

"No." Phoebe sat back down and took her daughter's hand. "I... I don't want to go back yet." 

Pyralis stared at her. "Okay..." she said, a little surprised. 

"So," said Phoebe, "What can I do to make things better?" 

"Nothing." Pyralis shook her head. "The damage was done a long time ago," 

"But if I know what happens... When I go back, maybe I can make things turn out differently." 

"No!" Pyralis looked up, alarmed. "You can't change something this big. Besides, it's wrong. I don't do things like that." 

"But-" 

"No. It's my destiny, I shouldn't fight it." 

Phoebe smiled, amazed. "Wow. I can't believe I have such a rule-abiding daughter." 

Pyralis laughed. "What, you think me bringing you here isn't against the rules?" 

"Good point. How _did_ you bring me here, anyway?" 

"I wrote a spell," Pyralis said, shrugging. 

"All by yourself? At, what, fifteen?" 

"Well, yeah." She laughed. "I mean, I've been this family's designated spell-writer practically since I learned to talk. I write poems too, but they're not as useful." 

"Poems? Can I see?" 

"I dunno... I don't really feel comfortable having people read them." 

"Not even your mom?" Phoebe pleaded. 

"_Especially_ not my mom." Pyralis looked at her mother thoughtfully. "You know, I've never called anyone 'mom' before. Well, except once. I was about five, and I called Piper 'mommy'. But then Prue - Piper's daughter Prue - came, and she grabbed Piper's leg and hugged her and she said: 'She's _my_ mommy, not yours!'" She shrugged. "So I never did _that_ again." 

"Aw, sweetie..." Phoebe pulled her daughter into a hug. "You can call me mom anytime you like." 

Pyralis smiled. "Thanks. I guess I'd better send you back now. It's almost supper time, and if Piper catches me doing this she will _kill _me." She got off the bed and went over to her desk to get a potion out of a drawer. "Here, drink this," she told her mother. 

Phoebe stood up. "What is it?" 

"It'll wipe your memory for the last ten minutes." Pyralis gave Phoebe the potion and she examined it. "I don't want to risk changing the past." 

Phoebe looked uncertain. "Are you sure it won't kill me or turn me into a vampire bat or something?" she asked, only half joking. 

"Don't you trust me?" 

Phoebe hesitated for a moment, looking at the bottle. Then she shook her head. "You're right, I'm being silly." 

"Drink it, then," Pyralis told her, trying not to get impatient. 

Phoebe looked at the potion once more, then uncorked the bottle and drank it. 

"Okay." Pyralis took the bottle back and put it on her desk, then turned back to her mother. "It'll take effect in a moment." She stared at Phoebe, suddenly uncomfortable. "Bye then..." she said quietly. 

Phoebe came over and gave her a hug. "Love you," she said. "Make me proud, okay?" 

Pyralis suddenly felt the unbearable urge to cry. She tried not to show it as she stood back, smiled, and said the spell to send Phoebe back: 

"Hear these words, hear me cry   
Help me heal the bonds of time   
Send my mother, body and soul   
Back to their rightful date" 

The cold wind and whispering started up again, then vanished just as quickly. And Phoebe vanished with them. 

Wiping her eyes with her hand, Pyralis hurriedly cleared the floor of all evidence of her spell. Then she sat on the bed, just staring into space, letting the tears run silently down her cheeks. She didn't move until Piper knocked on the door a good thirty minutes later. 

"Yes?" she said, wiping her eyes. The dried tears were making them itch. 

"Supper's ready," said Piper, opening the door. 

Pyralis blinked in the bright light coming through the doorway. She hadn't realized how dark it had gotten in her room. 

"Have you been crying?" Piper asked, concerned. 

"No." Pyralis quickly got up off the bed and walked out of the room. "I don't do crying." 

Downstairs, the rest of the family were already at the table as Piper and Pyralis took their seats. Starting to eat, Pyralis noticed that everyone was being awfully quiet, even Phillip and Kalinda. This was obviously affecting them all more than they were letting on. 

"Could you pass me the ketchup?" Phyre asked Prue. 

Prue handed it to her without a word. Normally she would have made fun of her sister putting ketchup on rice, but not today. 

"Thank you," Phyre said quietly. she started shaking the bottle. Unfortunately she had forgotten to put her thumb on the lid. 

The bottle sprung open and a load of ketchup flew out, making a huge red gooey stripe across the floor and up the wall. 

Phyre stared at the bottle in her hand, mouth open. 

Prue snorted. Phillip and Kalinda giggled. Then everyone started laughing. 

"Well, ketchup certainly makes a change from demon insides being splattered all over the wall!" Paige said in-between laughs. 

"Ohh, I'm going to have to clean that!" Piper pretended to be upset. 

"Hey, leave it until we get back tomorrow," Prue told her. "If we get killed we won't need a clean wall anyway." 

There were more laughs before the family calmed down. 

"You know," said Paige thoughtfully, "Our lives are going to change drastically tomorrow, for better or worse." 

"Well let's hope it's the first option." Piper smiled. 

Pyralis watched her curiously. It looked like her talk with Prue had really made a difference. 

"Let's drink a toast," Leo was saying. He raised his glass of lemonade. "To the future." 

Everyone else raised their assorted beverages. "To the future!" they chorused. 

Then Phillip and Kalinda started a food fight. The rest of the family soon joined in, and it was with smiles that they finally left the table. 

With one exception. 

"Where are you going?" Piper asked Pyralis. Everyone else was in the kitchen helping with the dishes. 

"Out." Pyralis had just been about to open the door when Piper had noticed her. 

"Pyralis..." 

"Piper, this might very well be the last night of my life. If it is, I want to spend it having fun." And she left before Piper could say anything else. 

Fun, however, was the last thing on her mind at the moment. She couldn't stop thinking about her mother, and the more she thought about her, the more confused she became. She needed something to distract herself. 

Which is why, half an hour later, she was sat on a wall with some friends, drinking stolen beer. However, distraction was not to be, because she was only halfway through her first can when a man came around the corner. 

"Hello, children," he said, a grin appearing on his slightly wrinkled face. 

"Who the hell are you?" asked Dave, a tall boy sitting on Pyralis' left. 

"My name is Elkor." Suddenly he raised his hands, and a blue lightning bolt shot from each of his fingers. When he lowered them again, Pyralis was the only one left standing. 

"I suppose you're going to feed on their flesh now?" she said, standing up and looking at him defiantly. 

"Not right now. I have more important things to do." 

He grabbed her wrist. She didn't flinch, and didn't break the stare. 

"Come on," Elkor growled, tightening his grip. "Your parents want to see you."   


**Author's note:**_ Very_ difficult chapter to write... I hope it came out okay. I also hope my characterization of Prue was okay... I started writing that scene and then freaked out because I realized I had never written Prue before! Anyway, please tell me what you think :) 


	13. Chapter 12 (2016)

**Chapter 12**

  
**** ****

**2016**   
**** ****

Oh God, there are just too many thoughts going through my head right now. No, strike that. Feelings. That's what I'm having too many of. 

Why does everything have to be so complicated? Probably because I _make_ it complicated. I didn't have to summon my mother, after all, in fact I probably shouldn't have. She's so nice though! _Was_ so nice. She's not nice anymore, just look what she's done to Paige. 

Paige hates Phoebe. Okay, maybe hate is a little too strong, I don't really know. But I do know her husband's death devastated her. I was there, I saw it happen. I saw my mother kill him, and I heard Paige scream his name, and I saw the look she gave Phoebe. I can't really describe that look, but it was horrible. And I see a hint of it in her eyes every time someone mentions Phoebe's name. 

Kalinda's full name is Phoebe Kalinda Shepard, you know. But Paige stopped calling her Phoebe after Michael died, and she got really riled up every time someone else did. So now she's Kalinda. The strange thing is that Paige actually named her after Phoebe, like Piper named Prue after her sister. So I guess not so long ago Paige must've felt the same way about Phoebe as Piper does. 

I've got to admit I understand why now. She really was the person everyone says she was. But I still don't understand how she could become evil, in fact I understand that even less than before. And she is evil, I don't doubt that for a second. She's got this cold look in her eyes, and the way she smiles sends shivers up my spine. Of course I haven't seen her since Michael died, but I doubt she's changed miraculously over the course of three years. And now it seems she wants to see _me_. 

I'm scared. 

I won't show it, of course, I learned how to hide my feelings a long time ago. But I've never seen them on my own before, the others were always there with me. And as bad as my memories of my mom are, they're nothing compared to what I remember of my father. 

Which is nothing. Nothing but a fleeting glimpse of a black cloak with the hood pulled over the eyes. But that glimpse is the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. And even after all this time that terror hasn't diminished one bit. 

But I won't show it. I'm strong. I can do this. 

And if I can't I'll die trying. 


	14. Chapter 13 (2002-2016)

**Chapter 13**

  
  


**2002**   


"Phoebe?" Cole opened the door to their bedroom. Phoebe was sat on the bed, her back to him, looking at a picture. A picture of Pyralis. He went to stand behind her. "We can still get her back you know," he said, the sound of his voice making her jump. 

"Cole..." Phoebe sighed and looked up at him. "We've been through this. Pyralis is staying at the manor with my sisters." 

"But _why_?" said Cole, raising his voice. "I miss her, Phoebe, and it's obvious you do, too. I don't understand how you can just leave her there when you're so unhappy! Why are you doing this to yourself? To _us_?!" 

"Because I'm not fit to be a mother!" Phoebe shouted as she stood up. She stared at him, fiercely blinking back the tears starting to form in her eyes. 

Cole opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. 

"Yes?" he said irritably. 

His secretary, a small, red-haired woman called Elania, poked her head in. "Sorry to bother you sir, but there's a warlock here who wants to speak with you. He says it's urgent." 

Cole looked back at Phoebe for a second. Then he sighed and followed Elania out, closing the door behind him. 

Left alone, Phoebe sat back down and picked the picture up again. Cole was right, she did miss Pyralis, missed her terribly in fact. But every time she thought about her she got a horrible feeling inside, like her stomach was on the verge of imploding. She didn't know why. Maybe it was guilt, like she'd lead Cole to believe. Maybe it was something else entirely. But she did know that it would only get worse if they brought Pyralis here, perhaps unbearably so. 

So Phoebe put all thoughts of her daughter out of her mind and concentrated on her quite extensive duties as Queen of the Underworld. It had worked for the past week, after all, why shouldn't it keep working? 

And, across town, Paige walked Pyralis up and down the hall as she cried for her mother.   


**2005**   


"So we use him as bait, and voila, a dozen witches in one go." 

"Impressive." Cole leaned back in his chair and grinned at the various demons assembled around the table. "How soon can we implement this plan?" 

"Whenever we want," said Jackson, the demon making the presentation. 

"Excellent. Any thoughts on the location?" 

"We shouldn't do it in San Francisco," Phoebe said quickly. 

Cole looked at her. 

"There's been a lot of supernatural activity around here lately," she explained, smiling at her husband before glancing at the other demons. "We don't want people to find out about us. It would make everything much more difficult." 

"Agreed." Cole nodded. "Any suggestions?" he asked Jackson. 

Jackson shrugged. "A small European country maybe? Wales, or Switzerland." 

"Sounds good." There were various nods and sounds of agreement from around the table. "Is there anything else we need to discuss?" Cole waited a second before standing up. "Meeting adjourned." 

Phoebe looked at him as the room started to empty. "You wanna get lunch?" 

Cole made a face. "Sorry, I have to go see the Grimlocks. But here," he pressed some money into her hand, "Why don't you go buy yourself something?" 

She smiled. "Okay. But promise you'll be back for dinner." 

He grinned at her. "I promise." 

Then they kissed and went their separate ways. 

* * * 

Phoebe admired herself in the mirror. Especially her feet, which were currently encased in the most expensive shoes in the store. 

"Hmm," she said, smiling at the shop assistant lady as she went to sit down. "They're certainly... nice." She took one shoe off to examine it more closely. 

"Prue, get back here this instant!" 

Phoebe's head snapped up. That had been Piper's voice. Putting one shoe down next to her and still wearing the other, Phoebe went over to the corner and stuck her head around it to peer into the children's section of the store. 

And there was Piper, sat next to a little girl of about 2 who looked like she was about to kick the shop assistant in the face. Standing next to them was another little girl, a year or two older, looking at some fluffy pink slippers. 

"Pyralis," Piper looked at the older girl, "Please go get Prue and tell her she's in big trouble." 

Pyralis? Phoebe made a few calculations in her head. Yes, she would be about 4 by now... 

She watched as Pyralis went over to another, blonde little girl, Prue presumably, who was taking shoes off the shelves left right and center, and whispered something to her. Prue held out her hands in an all-too-familiar way, and froze the store. Then Pyralis waved her hands in a different, but just as familiar manner, and all the shoes went flying back to their places on the shelves and tables. Once everything was back in order Prue unfroze things and she and Pyralis made their way back to Piper, who did _not_ look happy with them. 

And then Pyralis looked at Phoebe. 

Phoebe drew back around the corner in shock, suddenly having to gasp for breath. She shook her head. Why was she reacting like this? It didn't make sense. 

She was tempted to sneak another look at her. At her daughter. No, that wouldn't be wise. But still... 

And then she realized. She wanted her back. 

She briefly contemplated grabbing her here in the store, but soon decided against it. It would be stupid with all these people around, especially considering what she had said earlier about being exposed. No, she'd have to go to the manor... 

"Um, excuse me ma'am, but will you be wanting these shoes?" 

"Yes!" Phoebe snapped, kicking the other one off in the direction of the assistant. 

She was a witch with a mission, but though shoes were not top of her list of priorities right now, these particular ones _were_ very nice... 

Politeness, however, was a lot farther down. 

She turned to the woman. "Well? Hurry _up_!" 

* * * 

The door was open. 

This shouldn't really have surprised Phoebe, after all, it had always been open when she was living there... but still, for some reason she hadn't expected it. 

Shrugging, she stepped into the sun-lit hall. She couldn't see anyone, but the sound of the TV was coming from the living room. Cautiously she tiptoed to the doorway and looked inside, hoping not to find Piper in attack mode. And she didn't. And at first it looked like she hadn't found anyone there at all, just a TV showing cartoons, but then she heard a noise. Someone had giggled at something one of the cartoon characters had done to the other. Phoebe took a few more steps forward and saw that it had been Pyralis, her little body obscured by the huge couch cushions. 

Smiling in anticipation, she started to walk around the side of the couch. She suddenly wondered why she had ever left Pyralis here in the first place. Surely her daughter would be much better off with Cole and her anyway? After all, they had so much more to offer. Wealth, power, anything anyone could possibly want... What did Piper and Paige have to compete with that? 

And then Phoebe stepped on a toy, and it cracked, and Pyralis looked around and saw her. 

"Paige!" the little girl screamed. 

"Sweetie..." Phoebe came forward and smiled. "You don't need Paige. Come on, come here and give me a hug." 

"No," Pyralis said fiercely, scrambling to the far end of the couch. "Paige said you're dangerous." 

"Oh, sweetie... I'm not dangerous! I'm your mommy!" 

"Go away!" 

The sound of someone orbing in made Phoebe look up. It was Paige. 

"Pyralis, honey, what's-" She stopped short in mid-sentence. "Phoebe." 

"Paige!" Pyralis rushed over to Paige and she picked her up, looking at Phoebe warily. 

"What do you want?" Paige asked her sister, holding Pyralis tightly. 

"I _want_ my daughter!" Phoebe shouted angrily. 

"No!" Pyralis screamed, starting to cry. 

Paige looked from her niece to her sister and raised an eyebrow. "Well, she obviously doesn't want you." 

"I'm her mother!" Phoebe was fast becoming impatient. 

"Phoebe, you stopped being Pyralis' mother the moment you chose Cole over her." 

"It wasn't like that!" 

Paige snorted. Phoebe lunged forward, intending to snatch Pyralis from her. 

Calmly, Paige held out her free hand as if to push her away. And much to her own surprise Phoebe stopped. 

"Go home, Phoebe," Paige told her sister. "You're not wanted here, not as long as you're evil. And don't even try to tell me you're not, because I can feel it, trying to pull me in too, the same as it's been doing every day since you left." 

Phoebe didn't move. 

Paige looked at her niece. "Pyralis, why don't you give Phoebe a hand getting out?" 

Pyralis didn't need telling twice. She raised her hand and the next thing Phoebe knew she was lying on the grass outside, the door slamming behind her. 

She stood up and dusted herself off. So, Paige wanted to turn Phoebe's own daughter against her, did she? Well, let her. But someday, somehow she would pay for this. 

And Pyralis? If she wanted to stay with her bitches of aunts, fine. Phoebe didn't need _her_, not when she had Cole. 

She smiled as she was engulfed by flames. Yes. She had Cole, and that was all that mattered. 

But she didn't tell him what had happened that day.   


**2009**   


"Well, at least you didn't use your powers on him." 

Pyralis glared at Piper angrily. "I'm not stupid, you know!" 

"Pyralis, come on." Piper sighed and looked across to Paige, who was sat on the couch on Pyralis' other side. "You've been acting up all week. What's wrong?" 

"Nothing," Pyralis said, returning to gazing at her feet. 

"I don't believe you," Paige told her. "It's not like you to beat people up." 

"He was making fun of me! Anyway, I beat up demons all the time." 

"That's not the same and you know it." 

Pyralis crossed her arms and stubbornly remained silent. 

Her aunts waited. 

"Last week..." Pyralis said after a minute. 

"Go on," Piper told her. 

"I woke up in the middle of the night and I needed to go to the bathroom, so I got out of bed, but before I could get to the door I was already _in_ the bathroom." She looked up, the fear evident in her eyes. "I think I shimmered." 

"But that's good!" Paige said. "You got a new power!" 

"But it's an _evil_ power!" cried Pyralis. "I don't want to be evil!" 

"Oh, Pyralis, sweetie..." Piper put an arm around her niece. "Just because you have a demonic power doesn't mean you're evil! I mean, just because Paige can orb doesn't mean she's a whitelighter." 

"That's different." 

"No it's not. Paige's dad was a whitelighter but she's not, and your dad's a demon but you're not." 

Pyralis still looked unconvinced. 

"Look, Pyralis, as long as you don't want to be evil you won't be. It's as simple as that." 

"Really?" 

"Yes, really. Now come on," Piper said, patting Pyralis' knee. "You and I have some cookies to bake." 

"Chocolate chip?" Pyralis asked excitedly, jumping up off the couch. 

Piper laughed and followed her into the kitchen. "Whatever you want." 

Paige stood up and gazed after them thoughtfully. Then her husband came up behind her. 

"I wish it were true," she said. 

"What?" he asked, putting his arms around her waist. 

"That you won't become evil if you don't want to." She turned to look at him. "Phoebe didn't want to be evil, Michael, I know she didn't. She was such a great person." Paige took a deep breath and put a hand on her pregnant stomach. "Which is why I think we should name our kid after her." 

Michael raised his eyebrows. "You're kidding, right? Naming our daughter after the Queen of the Underworld?" 

Paige shrugged, looking hopeful. 

Michael sighed. "Oh, all right, you crazy person, you..." 

And they smiled, kissed and were happy.   


**2013**   


"Interesting..." Cole removed his hand from the Grimlock's arm. "You're dismissed," he told him. He turned to Phoebe. "What do you think?" 

She shrugged, smiling. "What are premonitions for if not to take advantage of? If they're going to be there... We should be too." 

"You want to kill them?" he asked, reaching out to stroke her cheek. 

"No... Not all of them. Not yet." She shook her head. "Paige killed one of my children and turned the other against me... let her _suffer_. Let them all suffer." She smiled as she put her arms around him. "And I have the perfect plan." 

* * * 

"...so I got roped into taking him to the dentist." Leo ruffled Phillip's hair fondly. 

"Well, beats going to work," Michael told him. They were walking home together after having met a few streets back. 

"Yeah, though I do love my work too." 

Michael laughed. "_You_ would." 

"Phillip, wait for us!" Leo called to his son, who had just rounded a corner in front of them. 

"Ah, they're all like that, aren't they? Can't wait for their frail old parents," Michael said, grinning. 

Leo grinned too and went round the corner, just in time to see Phillip be snatched by a Grimlock. 

"Phillip!" he cried, running to the spot where he had disappeared. He looked back at Michael, panicked. 

"It's okay, it's okay!" Michael said, rushing up to him. "Can you still sense him?" 

Leo nodded. 

Michael grabbed Leo's arm. "Then let's go." 

* * * 

"Dad!" Phillip held out his arms as Leo whacked the Grimlock in front of him on the head with plank. 

"You okay?" Leo asked, concerned, lifting him up. 

"Yeah, they didn't do anything to me yet." 

"Good..." Leo looked over his shoulder at Michael, who was battling the other two Grimlocks. He wondered if he should try to help or get Phillip to safety. 

"Get him home," Michael said in-between dodging punches. 

Relieved to have the decision made for him, Leo nodded and orbed out. 

Michael turned back to the Grimlocks. "You're gonna regret taking that little boy." He aimed a punch at the taller one's head. 

The Grimlock caught his fist and grinned. "I don't think so." And then he morphed into the Source. 

His eyes widening in surprise, Michael looked to his right and saw that the other Grimlock had turned into the Queen. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything the Source was pinning his arms behind his back and the Queen ws pouring something down his throat. Then she stepped back and smiled at him. 

The Source tightened his grip and before Michael knew it they had appeared in the manor, where Paige and Piper were rushing over to the couch Leo had put Phillip down on. They froze half-way across the hallway when they saw them, both with their mouths open. 

There was a noise at the top of the stairs and they all looked up to see Pyralis staring through the banisters. The Source looked back at Phoebe for a second, then back to Pyralis, and disappeared. Michael took a step towards Paige, but Phoebe grabbed his arm and he couldn't release himself from her grip. 

"Are you okay?" Paige asked, obviously trying to decide if she should risk getting any closer. 

"Yeah... I think so." 

Phoebe was staring at Paige, and a smile slowly started to form on her face. "Not for long," she said, the satisfaction evident in her voice. She held up her hand and a dagger appeared in it. Still smiling at Paige, she pulled Michael towards her and thrust the knife into his back. Then she pulled it out and stepped back, letting him fall to the floor without ever taking her eyes off her sister. 

"Michael!" Paige knelt down beside him and held her hands over him in an attempt to heal him, Leo joining her a second later. 

"It won't work," Phoebe said, slowly walking around so she could see his face. "That potion I gave you made you immune to a whitelighter's powers, and to anything else they might try to use to heal you." She crouched down so her face was level with Paige's, looked first at him and then at her, not blinking. "You're going to die, and there's nothing you can do about it." 

Phoebe stood up and turned to look at Pyralis, who was still sat at the top of the stairs. She smiled at her daughter and then left, going up in flames. 

Paige put Michael's head in her lap as Piper and Leo rushed off to find something, _anything_ to help him. 

The last thing he saw was her tears.   


**2016**   


"No, no! I don't deserve this, I didn't do anything!" 

"Neither did I." Phoebe held out her red-hot hand again and squeezed the innocent's wrist, feeling his skin crackle and burn beneath her fingers. She grinned at him, making sure to show just how much she was enjoying this. 

"Phoebe?" 

Phoebe turned around and saw Cole standing at the entrance to the cavern. "What is it now?" 

"We have a problem." 

Sighing, Phoebe took another look at the innocent before following her husband into the conference chamber. Jackson was sat in a chair, looking very nervous. Cole gestured towards him. Phoebe raised her eyebrows and went over to touch his arm. 

_"We also want you to tell us everything you know about the security measures surrounding the Source and his Queen, and any potential weaknesses we could exploit."___

_"I don't think so."___

_"Fine, then I guess we'll just have to kill you and summon the next demon on our list."___

_"You do realize you're dealing with an upper-level demon here."___

_"I see, and that makes you immune to our powers, right? A fouteen-year-old just froze you, Jackson. Just think what us adults could do."___

_"Okay..."___

"Ohh, that is not good," Phoebe said, taking her hand away. 

Cole shook his head. "Not good at all, is it Jackson?" 

"Please, sir, I can explain, I, I don't even remember..." 

"If you don't remember then how do you expect to explain? Honestly, Jackson, I'm very disappointed that you could be so _stupid_!" Phoebe turned to one of guards by the door. "Put him in there with the other one," she said, pointing at the entrance to the torture chamber. 

"No, please, no..." Whimpering, Jackson was dragged away. 

"So what are we gonna do?" Cole asked when he was gone. 

"Well, they're planning to kill us... Maybe it's about time we killed _them_." 

"What about Pyralis?" 

"Her too." 

"Oh." Cole looked down. 

Phoebe walked over to him. "Why, what were you thinking?" 

"Well... if we could turn her..." 

"I'm listening." 

"The three of us would be practically invincible." 

"Cole, we're already practically invincible." 

"Not with her on their side. She's powerful, Phoebe, she vanquished the Seer. I wouldn't be surprised if her powers worked on _us_. But with her on _our_ side..." He grinned. "Piper and Paige won't stand a chance against us." 

Phoebe smiled. "I like the way you think," she told him, wrapping her arms around him. "Elkor!" she shouted. 

Elkor appeared in the doorway and bowed. "Yes, my Queen?" 

"Find our daughter. Bring her to us." She looked up at Cole again. "If she won't turn we can always kill her later."   


**Author's note:** I promise I will never, ever make you wait that long for a new chapter ever again. That said, some reviews might be nice :D 


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The heavy metal gate clanked shut behind them, and Elkor let go of her. Rubbing her wrist, Pyralis scowled at him and then turned to take in her surroundings. 

They were standing on a wide gravel path with bright green grass on either side, and flowers and trees a little father away. The path led up a slope at the top of which stood a large, very gray and yet quite posh-looking house. She presumed it was Black Manor - the golden plaque on the gate had told her as much. 

"Don't bother trying to shimmer away," Elkor was telling her, starting to make his way up the path. "No forms of instant transportation are possible within these walls." 

It looked like "within these walls" was quite a big space - Pyralis could only see one of them. She pondered trying to escape for a minute, but soon decided against what would most likely be a fruitless effort anyway. Besides, by the look of the sky it was going to rain any second. So instead she stuck her hands in her pockets and hurried after her abductor. 

They went up to the house at a brisk walk. A strong wind was starting to blow around them, making the distant trees rustle in this otherwise eerily silent place. Shivering, Pyralis picked up her pace, even though she didn't know that what she would find inside wouldn't be worse. 

She examined the huge old-fashioned oak door as Elkor opened it, took one last look at the sprawling grounds, and stepped inside. 

She was standing in a wide, dark but comfortably warm hallway. It was (sparsely) lit by torches, there were paintings on the wall and sculptures in the alcoves. The floor was made of dark marble, their footsteps echoing on it as she followed him into a narrower passage on the right. He stopped in front of an open door through which faint voices could be heard. Then he looked at her pointedly. 

Glancing at him hesitantly, she took a deep breath and entered. 

A dining room. There was a fireplace next to the doorway where she was standing, two armchairs and a red rug in front of that. Floor and walls were made of the same dark wood as the front door. A window, looking out on the greenery she'd just left, the gate just visible in the background. Next to the window, a table. And sat at the table... Them. 

He was sat at the head of it, she next to him, both wearing those cold, mirthless smiles Pyralis remembered so well. It wouldn't have surprised her if they hadn't _known_ how to smile in any other way anymore. They were both dressed in black, and were holding hands across the table. And they were staring at her, oh-so-confident and self-assured. 

Pyralis stared back. 

"Pyralis," Phoebe said, still wearing that unnerving smile. "We were just about to have lunch. Care to join us?" 

"I've already eaten," she replied coldly. 

"At least have something to drink." It was Cole's turn to talk. 

She stayed rooted to the spot. 

Cole shrugged, an amused grin on his face. "Very well." He snapped his fingers and looked expectantly at the door. Within moments a youngish looking woman entered, put plates of food in front of Cole and Phoebe and withdrew into a corner without a word. 

Phoebe, ignoring her servant completely, speared a piece of carrot with her fork. "So, how've you been?" 

"I was fine until _he_ came along." Pyralis inclined her her towards where Elkor was still standing, just outside the door. 

"Elkor, you're dismissed," Cole said, without so much as a glance in his direction. 

Regarding her parents and then mentally shrugging, Pyralis sat down at the table, albeit as far away from them as possible. "What do you want?" 

"We wanted to see you," Phoebe said. "We missed you. Is that a crime?" 

"No crime, no," Pyralis responded, scrutinizing her mother. "No, I think 'lie' would be a more appropriate word for what you just told me." 

"What makes you think that?" 

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that you haven't shown the slightest interest in me in over a decade? You don't even send me birthday cards." 

"Sweetie..." 

"Why are you here, anyway, and not in the Underworld?" 

"Because after our friend Jackson's betrayal we didn't feel safe there anymore." Cole looked up, grinning, and shrugged. "We've always liked this place better anyway. So much more... peaceful." 

Phoebe wiped her mouth and looked at Pyralis. "If you're not hungry, why don't you take a look around? Theresa will show you your room." She nodded in the direction of the servant woman. 

"My _room_?" 

"Surely you don't think we'd make you sleep on the couch?" Cole asked. "Go on, go see what you think of it." 

Raising her eyebrows, Pyralis got up and followed Theresa out of the room. 

Phoebe turned to Cole. "What do you think? Will it work?" 

"I don't know." He shook his head. "It's too soon to tell. But I think it's definitely possible." 

He smiled at her and squeezed her hand. Then they kissed and just concentrated on each other for a while. 

* * * 

Theresa opened the door for Pyralis and then left. Pyralis stepped in and closed it again before turning to look around the room. 

It was big. The floor and walls and furniture, again, wood. In the center of the room stood a large four-poster bed with black sheets. Next to that were full-length glass doors with black curtains, leading onto a small balcony. On the polished wooden floor was a black rug. The armchairs in the far corner were black. In fact, everything in the room seemed to be either black or made of wood. 

It was quite nice, really. 

Not really expecting her parents to have left an escape route in her bedroom, of all places, Pyralis nevertheless went onto the balcony to see what could be done. 

She was quite surprised to find herself almost falling off a cliff. 

Grabbing hold of the railing to steady herself, she shook her head and looked down again. 

Yup. Definitely a cliff face. In fact it looked like the house had been built at the very top of the highest cliff. 

How cliché. 

No escape there then, obviously, unless she wanted to test her non-existent rock climbing skills. 

She went back inside and over to the large wardrobe opposite the bed. There were a lot of clothes in it. All black, and all - apart from a jacket or two and what looked like some pajamas - dresses. Very nice dresses, for sure, but still a little monotonous. 

She closed the closet again and looked at the bed. If she lay on _that_ she would be asleep in two seconds. So she probably shouldn't risk that quite yet. 

Instead she decided to take a look around the house. That _was_ what Phoebe had told her to do, after all... 

Closing the door to her room behind her, she snuck off down the hall. Why she was sneaking she wasn't sure, she had been given permission after all, but somehow it just didn't feel right to saunter around the place casually. 

There was a bathroom across the hallway from her room, and another door, which was locked. Nothing very interesting. She went over to one of the two staircases and looked up and down. If she went down she ran a higher risk of bumping into Phoebe or Cole, not something she particularly wanted to do. Upstairs it was, then. 

A longer corridor, this time. And one open door. She walked toward it curiously and looked inside. 

The master bedroom. 

Although Pyralis didn't think going through her drawers what exactly what Phoebe had meant when she had said to look around the house, it would certainly prove interesting... 

Shrugging, she entered the room. It was essentially a larger, more extravagant version of her own... but with a personal touch. For example the huge, framed, black-and-white picture of Cole and Phoebe which hung on the wall, or the book - a trashy romance novel, by the looks of it - on the nightstand, or the jewelry on the vanity. 

She picked a diamond necklace up and held it up to the light. It was perfect. And, like everything else in this house, probably unbelievably expensive. As was the gold bracelet she picked up next. There was a message engraved on it... "Love you always, Cole" 

Pyralis pushed up her sleeve to reveal her own bracelet. It was practically identical. Idly, she ran her fingers over the writing. The bracelet was a source of eternal frustration for her. Even though she had convinced herself that it didn't, _couldn't_ mean anything to her, she couldn't bring herself not to wear it. It just didn't feel right. She guessed it was hard to break the habit of a lifetime; she couldn't remember a time when she hadn't worn it every day. 

She pulled her sleeve back down and surveyed the rest of the jewelry. It was just more of the same. She decided to move on to the drawers. 

The first one held make-up, the second hair accessories. 

The third was locked. 

Glancing at the doorway, Pyralis put out her hand and used her telekinetic abilities to open it. 

Inside were a few photos and a pair of pink baby booties. 

Frowning, Pyralis picked up the photos. Why would anyone want to hide these? And as for the booties... well, that made even less sense. 

But, as she looked through the pictures, she thought she might be beginning to understand. 

The first was of Phoebe and her grams. Then a baby Phoebe and her mom. Phoebe and her sisters. 

Phoebe and Cole smiling down at a baby Pyralis. 

And one of just Phoebe and Pyralis, both grinning and pointing at the camera. 

It looked like Phoebe hadn't completely let go of her past, and she didn't want anyone to know. 

Pyralis put the things back and re-locked the drawer. She was having a hard time processing this information. 

It got worse when she found another picture, hidden at the back of one of Cole's clothes drawers. It was in a nondescript brown envelope, and showed Cole, Phoebe and Pyralis having a picnic in a park. 

What the hell did this _mean_?! 

Severely spooked, Pyralis left the room in search of something less mind-bending. A library or a torture chamber or something. 

She found both, though she didn't actually go _in_ the torture chamber (it was... occupied.) 

So she spent the rest of the afternoon in her bedroom, pretending to read while she tried to sort her head out and formulate and escape plan. 

When it was starting to get dark Theresa came in and said dinner would be served in thirty minutes. She also heavily implied that Pyralis should change clothes for this event. 

Sighing, Pyralis hauled herself off the bed (sleep would be so nice...) and went over to closet to examine the black dresses more closely. They all looked pretty much the same to her. She could, of course, _refuse_ to change... but she was too tired to make a fuss over a little thing like that. So she randomly chose a dress, put it on and went downstairs to see what would happen next. 

Phoebe and Cole were already there, in the same seats as they had been in earlier. Pyralis briefly entertained herself with the though that they hadn't moved in all this time. Thankfully they didn't notice her smirk. 

"So what do you think of the house?" Phoebe asked as their food was served. 

"It's... interesting," Pyralis replied, staring at the food on her plate. She was starving. 

"Yes, we think so." Cole smiled. He paused to look at Phoebe, then continued when she nodded. "How would you like to live here?" 

"Not much." Pyralis was digging into her food eagerly. 

"Oh." Cole looked down. 

"Wouldn't you like the chance to get to know us better?" Phoebe asked. 

"Funnily enough... no." 

"But don't you think you'd be much happier with your parents than with Piper and Paige?" Phoebe practically spat her sisters' names. 

Pyralis looked up from her food, a stony expression on her face. "You're not my parents." There was a long silence while they all stared at each other. Finally Pyralis stood up and threw her napkin on her plate. "I'm going to bed." 

Phoebe stared at Cole as their daughter ran out of the room, her expression unreadable. He took her hand. 

"Don't worry," he said. "It's early days yet. And if it doesn't work out..." He shrugged. "Then it doesn't work out." 

And Pyralis threw herself on the strange, unfamiliar bed and cried herself to sleep.   
****

**Author's note:** Nervous? Me? About what other people will think? Never... Okay, just bit. After all, I know how much you've all been looking forward to this, what if it doesn't live up to your expectations? Well then I guess I'll have to make the rest pretty bloody good instead. Anyway, I'm rambling. Reviews are, as you know, highly valued :) 


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

  
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Oh _shit.___

This is too much. I'm trying to understand what kind of game they're playing (and it's obvious they're playing _some_ kind of game...), but I just can't get my head around it. If they care as much as they say they do, why hide the photos? Why not display them publicly, that would certainly seem more convincing to _me_. But no, they have to hide them away and make everything even more complicated and confusing than it already is. It's as though they don't even want each other to find them. Then again, maybe they wanted _me_ to find them and think that, they did _tell_ me to explore the house, after all. But why would they _want_ me to think that? It's all just too confusing. 

Of course, the easiest solution would be to vanquish them, but that would be suicide and I don't really want to die quite yet. Suicide if the spell doesn't work because they'll kill me (they're not stupid enough to let someone who tries to kill them get away, even if it is their own daughter), and suicide if it does because I'd still be outnumbered by at least four to one by the bodyguards. All in all, not very enticing. 

I could try to escape, but I can't really see how. I'd most likely either fall off a cliff or be impaled on one of those huge spikes on the wall. So that option is pretty much nonexistent. 

I just _hate_ not being able to do anything about this situation! I hate feeling so helpless and I hate feeling so goddamned _confused_! I hate having to sit here and wait for the others to come rescue me. I hate having to wonder if anyone _will_ rescue me. I don't know what I'll do if they don't. Kill myself, probably, I can't stand the thought of having to stay here for the rest of my life, which could well be _centuries_ considering my demonic parentage. This place is too glum and dull and gray to spend hundreds of years in. I'd be surprised if the sun _ever_ shone through these windows. It's so depressing, how could anyone actually _choose_ to live here?! 

I miss my family. I want to go home, and I haven't the faintest idea how. 

What the hell am I supposed to do?! 


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

  
  
  


It was morning; the sun had just risen and was throwing its bright light into the hall via the colored glass panes in the door. Birds were singing, stores were opening... The city was waking up. 

For some people, this was not a good thing. 

"She's been gone all night!" cried Piper, pacing up and down the hall. 

"Piper, that doesn't mean anything. I'm sure she's fine," Leo said. It was not the best choice of words. 

"What the hell do you mean, 'it doesn't mean anything'? She could be _dead_ for all we know!" 

"That's not true. I would know if she were dead. She's not." 

"What if they found a way to stop you from knowing?" 

"Why would they want to do that?" 

"Are you kidding?" Piper finally stood still and looked at her husband. "Element of surprise, keep us guessing, never sure where the next attack will come from, if it'll come at all." She resumed pacing. "It's a pretty good strategy if you ask me." 

"Piper..." Leo grabbed her arm to make her stop. She turned to look at him, opened her mouth as if to speak but then closed it again, staring up at him with large, fearful eyes. His own mouth hung open for a few seconds, then he shook his head. "Have some tea," he said finally, gesturing towards the steaming mugs on the table. 

She managed a small smile. "Thanks." She sat down and was about to reach for the tea when they heard footsteps at the top of the stairs. They looked up to see Prue and Phyre descending, Prue carrying the Book of Shadows. 

"Anything?" Piper asked, though she already knew the answer. 

"Sorry." Prue set the Book down on the table. "I scried for over an hour. The crystal didn't so much as twitch." 

"And I touched _everything_ trying to get a premonition," Phyre said, sitting down and taking a sip of her mother's tea. "Pyralis is gonna be _so_ mad when she finds out I've been through all her stuff..." 

"If we ever _find_ her," Prue said glumly. 

"I'm back..." Paige came through the front door carrying a shopping bag and a newspaper. "Any luck?" she asked, going over to the table where the rest of them were gathered. Seeing the looks on their faces she guessed the answer and sat down next to Phyre, putting the shopping on the table next to her. 

"Hey..." Prue picked up the newspaper and stared at it. "I know these people." 

"What people?" Piper asked. 

"Here." Prue pointed at several yearbook-like photos, underneath a headline reading 'Teens Killed In Storm'. "Pyralis hangs out with them sometimes. And that guy there used to be her boyfriend." 

Leo raised his eyebrows. "Somehow, this doesn't sound like a coincidence." 

"Especially considering this part!" Phyre pointed at a passage in the accompanying text. "they were most likely _struck by lightning_." she looked up at their uncomprehending faces. "Oh, come on! Don't you remember last week, when I was looking for a demon in the Book of Shadows?" 

Understanding started to dawn as Prue opened the book and turning pages. "The flesh-eating one!" She found the page and stabbed her finger at it triumphantly. "There. Elkor." 

Paige was still confused. "But if it was him, why didn't he feed on their flesh?" 

"Because he was obviously there for a different reason. To kidnap Pyralis." Piper shook her head. "They must've found out about our plans somehow." 

"But how much do they know?" Leo wondered. 

Piper sighed. "We have to assume they know everything. Phoebe has premonitions, remember, she can see anything. And if it's true that they 'share their powers', that means Cole can too. Oh, why didn't I think of that?!" 

"Because it wouldn't have made a difference." Paige shrugged dejectedly. "I doubt we could do anything to make her not be able to see our plans." 

"Still, we should've been prepared for it." Piper put her head in her hands. "Then maybe Pyralis would still be here." 

"Where's Pyralis gone?" They all looked up to see Phillip emerging from the kitchen, closely followed by Kalinda. 

"It's okay sweetie, go back to bed," Piper told her son. 

"You've been crying," he observed. 

"Yeah, but I'm not anymore. Everything's fine." 

The two children looked at them for a moment, then seemed to decide that this was grown-up business and the best thing they could do was be invisible. They turned around and headed back to the stairs to the cellar, Kalinda reaching for Phillip's hand and hanging onto it tightly. 

And then she stopped, a look of surprise on her face. "I know where she is," she said. 

Paige was on her feet and by her side in an instant. "Where? Where is she, sweetie?" 

"I can't tell you. I have to show you." 

"But how do you know?" 

"I dunno... I wanted to know, then I did." 

"Well then let's go!" Piper came to stand next to her. 

Kalinda looked up at her mother and took her hand, then everyone joined hands, and they orbed away in a huge display of lights. 

The rescue mission had begun.   


**Author's note:** Since that was a (very) short and not that great chapter (and also because I'm really looking forward to writing it), I promise the next chapter will be up in less than a week, 'kay? 


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

  
  
  


"Oh, come on Pyralis, smile!" Phoebe shook her daughter's shoulder playfully. Pyralis glared at her. 

They were taking a walk in the sprawling grounds around the manor. Pyralis had only consented to this because there was a slim chance that it could reveal a more appealing escape route. So far it hadn't, and she was getting extremely annoyed by her parents and their bodyguards. _Especially_ the one with the camera. 

Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Cole decided to make conversation. "So, how's school?" he asked. 

"'S okay," Pyralis replied. Inwardly she groaned. They were trying so hard to be normal that it hurt. 

"You get good grades?" 

"Usually." 

Cole looked up at the sky. "Nice weather today." 

"Not really." It was the same as the day before; gray, windy and very dull. 

There was another silence. Phoebe apparently thought she needed to fill it. "So, how're your aunts?" 

Pyralis shrugged. "Worried sick, I should imagine. Still, they'll probably find me soon." 

"Do you want them to?" 

"Are you crazy? There's no way I'm staying here longer than I have to." She gave her mother another glare. 

Phoebe looked away. Putting her hands in her pockets, she turned to Cole. "It's getting cold. We should go back inside to warm up." 

"Sure." Cole caught Pyralis' gaze. She raised an eyebrow. Then she turned her back to him. 

It _was_ warmer inside, but Pyralis wasn't sure if she hadn't preferred being outside. In this drawing room or whatever it was, she felt caged in and uncomfortable. She sat in her armchair, staring at the fire in total silence for a full ten minutes before Theresa came in with a bowl of fruit and Phoebe thought of something to say. 

"Would you like a strawberry?" 

"I'm allergic to strawberries." 

"Oh." Phoebe looked at the one she had been about to eat and put back in the bowl. "I didn't realize." 

"I wouldn't expect you to. It's not as if you know me or anything." 

This made Phoebe look up. "I'd like to," she said, her voice softening. 

"It's too late," Pyralis said dismissively. 

"Pyralis, we understand that you're angry..." Cole took Phoebe's hand and glanced at her before turning to their daughter. "But-" 

"You _don't_ understand," Pyralis cut him off. "You're simply not _capable_ of understanding, no one is! I mean, sometimes not even I understand how I feel. And I certainly don't understand _you_. You left me, but now you want me back. You keep hidden pictures of me, for God's sake!" She watched as they looked at each other, mouths open, then shook her head. "So you didn't even tell each other about them. Maybe you need to work on understanding _each other_ before you even _begin_ to try to understand _me_!" 

The stunned and confused silence that followed was interrupted by one of the servants bursting through the door. "Excuse me sir," the demon said urgently, "But someone's trying to break in." He gestured towards the window. 

Cole stared at him for a moment before rushing to the window to see for himself, followed moments later by Pyralis and Phoebe. The rest of the family had just broken through the gate at the bottom of the path. Cole looked at his bodyguards and inclined his head sharply. They promptly rushed out of the room and down the stairs. Then he returned his attention to Phoebe. 

"You kept pictures of Pyralis?" she was asking. 

"Yes." 

"And you didn't _tell_ me?!" Phoebe was incredulous. 

"Neither did you!" 

"Well, I didn't know what you would say." 

"You don't trust me?" 

"I didn't say that!" 

"Well you sure as hell implied it!" 

"Are you saying you don't trust _me_?!" 

"No!" Cole threw up his arms and looked around. "I..." He inhaled deeply, then met her gaze. "I better go help out down there." He gave her one last look, then left. 

A few moments later Pyralis saw him sauntering down the lawn towards where her family seemed to be holding their own quite well against the six bodyguards. She watched for a moment, then looked over at Phoebe, who was also watching intently. 

"How can you just stand there and watch your husband try to kill your family?" Pyralis asked. 

Phoebe looked at her. "_You're_ just standing there watching." 

"Only because I don't think that _thing_ seems very inclined to let me through the door." She glanced over her shoulder at Theresa, who was standing by the door and had reverted back to her not-very-attractive demon form. 

"You're right." Phoebe turned back to the window. "We can't have you getting involved in a fight that doesn't concern you." 

"Doesn't _concern_ me? Those people brought me up, they're my family! It sure as hell _does_ concern me! A lot more than you do, in fact." 

"We're your parents, Pyralis, you can't get much more connected than that." 

Pyralis laughed. "Maybe that would be true if you had ever been there for me when I needed you, but you weren't!" She shook her head. "And now you just expect me to forget the last fifteen years and play happy families with you? I'm sorry, but it doesn't work that way! You can't just not care for so long and then think I'll believe you when you say you do." 

Phoebe looked at her. "You think I don't care?" 

Pyralis looked back. "I know you don't." 

"How do you know? Because _they_ told you so?" Phoebe angrily jerked her head in the direction of the battle raging outside. "They don't understand a thing about me!" 

"They didn't tell me anything," Pyralis said with a cold smile. "They didn't need to, it was obvious. What kind of parents just decide one day to get up and run off to rule the Underworld?" She shrugged. "You know, I don't even care that you're evil, not really. I care that you left me behind and never looked back! And because of that I had to grow up being _afraid_ of you, and that isn't right." 

"I left you behind because I didn't want you to grow up in a world like this!" 

"How do you expect me to believe that?" Pyralis fired back. "You've killed so many people, shown that you don't give a damn about so many horrible things, how am I supposed to believe that you do about me?" 

"Because I wasn't always like this!" 

"Then why didn't you _stay good_?!" 

"I wasn't strong enough!" Phoebe shouted. There was a pause as they both inhaled deeply and their gazes locked. "A lot of bad things happened to me, and I just couldn't resist the temptation anymore," Phoebe finished, more subdued. 

Pyralis crossed her arms. "Like what?" 

"Well, first my sister died..." Phoebe sat down in an armchair and stared at the fireplace. "And I was pretty cut up about that. Angry, too. If it weren't for Cole I probably would've-" 

"If it weren't for _Cole_?" 

Phoebe looked up and smiled at Pyralis' disbelieving face. "Yes, Cole. He's a good man, Pyralis, he just has... evil tendencies." 

Pyralis snorted. 

"Look," Phoebe said, a hint of exasperation in her voice, "I don't expect you to understand, nobody else does either." 

"Go on," Pyralis said after a pause. 

Her mother looked at her scrutinizingly before continuing. "Like I said, Cole helped me stay strong for Piper and you, and we met Paige and for a while everything was all right." She shrugged. "Then Cole lost his demon half and the Source - the old Source - took advantage of that and possessed him." 

Pyralis' eyes widened. "You mean-" 

Phoebe shook her head. "We got the Source out of him eventually... but not his powers." Another shrug. "They made the pull of evil too strong to resist." 

There was a silence as Pyralis contemplated this new information. "That still doesn't explain why _you_ didn't resist," she said finally. Phoebe opened her mouth but Pyralis cut her off again before she could say anything. "And if you say it was because you couldn't leave him I _swear_ I'll kill you right now." 

More silence. Phoebe looked at her, a look that seemed full of uncertainty, even fear of how she would react. "I was pregnant," she told her, trying desperately not to break eye contact. 

Another pause. Another look, this one from Pyralis; non-comprehension, trying to fit this new piece of the puzzle but not succeeding, anticipation, the _need_ to _know_. 

"The Book of Shadows..." Phoebe said, her voice faltering on the last word. "It said we should kill the baby. Piper and Paige convinced me to do it." 

Pause. Look. 

"I regretted it the moment it was done. I ran to Cole, my head was all messed up, I didn't know what to do." 

Pause. 

Look, full of meaning, begging Pyralis to understand. 

"I stayed with Cole because I was afraid to do anything else. I don't even know what I was afraid _of_! But I was even more afraid to take you with me, I just had this gut wrenching feeling that something terrible would happen if I did. I don't know why I had that feeling, either." She sighed. " If it wasn't for that baby I would've been stronger. As it was... I was just too tired to say no." She got up. "And now here I am," She started pacing. "And I _hate_ myself, I hate that I've become everything I used to despise. I hate that the only things that make me _feel_ anything anymore are Cole and other people's pain. Causing pain is the only way I can feel that I have any _control_ over anything, and the stronger the pain, the stronger the satisfaction." She stood still and turned to look at her daughter. "But with you... I can't hurt you, there's something stopping me. When I look at you, I just feel empty inside, and I want to hide away and cry. All the fire I have in me, all the anger, all the feelings of _betrayal_ that make me want revenge on my sisters for what they _did_ to me... It's all gone, just like that." Phoebe sighed and sat back down, all of a sudden looking small, tired, and old. 

Pyralis looked at her in the uncomfortable silence that followed, unsure as to how to respond. 

"Does Cole know you feel like this?" she ventured after a moment that seemed like an eternity. 

Her mother responded with a short, bitter laugh. "No. I don't tell him things like this." Her gaze wandered to the window, though she could only see the sky from where she was sitting. "He doesn't understand them." 

"Then why don't you-" 

"No." Phoebe looked her daughter in the eyes, then away again as she stood up. "This is the way it is now." 

There was a final silence, Pyralis feeling like there was something she should say, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what. 

And then came the scream. 

Pyralis' head snapped around so fast she was surprised she didn't break her neck. She rushed to the window, pressed hands and forehead against the glass, looking down, searching... 

Cole was standing with his arm thrust out, hand open... And there was Phyre, lying on the ground a few meters away with a big scorch mark on her chest, her head at an angle that could only mean one thing... 

Piper was screaming, Prue was just standing there, stunned. 

And the demons were taking advantage. 

"Oh no..." Pyralis breathed. 

She stared for a few seconds, then forced herself to blink and look away. 

Phoebe hadn't moved, was standing still as a statue, staring at her. 

Pyralis caught her gaze, held it for one long, lingering moment, then ran out of the room, warding off Theresa with a "you touch me I kill you" glare. Down the stairs, the hall, through the door, onto the grass, angry, so incredibly angry... 

The demon nearest her was gone in one short, intense burst of flame. "Go!" she shouted at the others, most of whom were still standing around, shell-shocked. 

Another demon came up behind her. She turned, pointed her her finger at him and he burst into flame. Then she turned back to her family, who hadn't moved. She stared at them, her eyes saying "you'd better do as I say or else". "This is my fight," she said. 

Leo must have got the message because he took Piper by the arm and lead her away, then one by one the others followed, first walking but then running, until Pyralis was alone with the demons. 

The remaining two tried to come at her from either side, but she held her arms out and they were gone as quickly as the others had been. 

Which left her and Cole. 

They stared at each other. 

Then Pyralis saw something out of the corner of her eye and looked up at the manor. Cole turned around and followed her gaze. 

Phoebe was lying on the ground below the window of the room Pyralis had just been in, and there was a knife in her chest. 

"Phoebe!" Cole was by her side faster than Pyralis could blink. She ran after him, then knelt down next to her mother, mouth open. 

"Phoebe," Cole said more softly, more desperately. 

Phoebe looked up at him. She smiled. "Love you..." she told him. Then her eyes came to rest on Pyralis. A second later the soul vanished from behind them. 

"Phoebe, no!" Cole cried, tears glistening in his eyes. He picked her up, hugged her, kissed her hair. "Phoebe..." 

Then he looked up at Pyralis, and she saw that his eyes had turned completely black. "You did this," he growled. 

"What?" Pyralis looked at him, confused, perhaps a little dazed. 

"This," he said more loudly, "is _your fault_!" 

She stared at him, mouth agape. "How can i- I didn't do anything!" 

"All I wanted," he said, lowering his voice as he rose, "Was a family." He advanced on Pyralis as she stood up as well, causing her to backpedal onto the grass. "When I was _little_," he continued in a _slightly _less imposing tone, "all I wanted was for my father to come back so I could be part of a proper family again. But I knew that could never happen because he was dead, my mother had killed him. So I gave up on that. And then I met Phoebe, and I was happy, then you were born and I was ecstatic. I thought maybe I could have my family after all, but no, Phoebe killed our son because of _you_ and because of that she can't - couldn't... - have any more children. And then she made me leave you behind. And _now_, now I thought I might _finally_ have her convinced and we could be a real family again... and then you made her do this." He looked back at Phoebe's body for the briefest of moments. "I'm sorry, but I just can't forgive you for that." 

"And I can't forgive _you_ for killing my cousin." She shrugged, a tired, beaten shrug. "I guess that makes us even." She paused to study him, all the anger inside him evident in every bit of his appearance. "Are you going to kill me now?" 

His turn to shrug. "I'm going to try. Source of all Evil and a representative of Good? I'd say a fight is a forgone conclusion." 

"I don't _want_ to fight you," she told him, backing further down the lawn. 

"Fine, then I'll just kill you and do unspeakable things to innocent people in order to vent the _pain_," -and here he threw a fireball at her, which she only barely managed to dodge - "And the _anger_" - Another fireball, she dived behind a convenient boulder, - "You've caused me." 

"You don't want to do this!" Pyralis called from her hiding place, hoping it was at least semi-true. 

"Doesn't matter," he said in a seemingly nonchalant voice. "Good versus Evil, that's the way it works." 

At least he had stopped bearing down on her. "It doesn't have to!" she said. 

"It _does_! If it doesn't there are too many complications and everyone ends up losing. Come on now, fight for what you believe in!" he urged her. 

"Is that what you're doing?" 

"Maybe." 

"I think you're just fighting because you don't know how to to anything else. At least _I try_!" 

"You're not trying very hard right now." And with that he blew up the boulder she was hiding behind. 

She rose, they looked at each other, trying to stare each other down. 

And then they fought. 

Pyralis soon found out that her firestarting skills were useless on him, and while she could telekinetically move his fireballs and prevent them from hitting her, no matter how hard she waved her arm Cole himself did not budge. 

He had started firing a continued barrage of fireballs at her, and though she redirected most of them a few still hit her, her arms and cheeks were burnt and her hands scorched. This tactic wasn't working. 

So she threw energy balls, one for each fireball he threw, more and more, faster and faster, colliding in the space between them and releasing an energy so huge she wasn't sure if deflecting the fireballs hadn't been less painful. And yet, somehow this was so much more enjoyable than that had been, she could feel the _power_ emanating from her, wanted more, more... 

She knew she had to end it. So she said the spell, squinting at the bright explosions in front of her, unable to even see her father anymore. 

_Hear these words, hear my cry_   
_Spirits from the other side_   
_Come to me, I summon thee_   
_Cross now the great divide___

She felt a strong gust of wind behind her and then they were there, she couldn't see them but she could _feel_ them, their power, all behind her. So she kept up the energy balls, raising her voice to join the ghosts in chorus as they said the second part of the spell: 

_Halliwell witches now stand united_   
_To vanquish this evil_   
_Together we smite it!___

The light in front of her grew even brighter, she didn't know whether to shield her eyes or her ears as Cole exploded, a loud roar escaping his throat even as it was destroyed... 

Then silence, and no visual evidence apart from a patch of charred grass. 

Slowly, she turned around. 

She recognized some of the transparent figures, all holding hands, glowing, smiling at her, _hundreds_ of them. Her great-grandmother, her grandmother Patty, Prue... Phyre, near the front... and Phoebe. Smiling. 

But they were all fading, already fading oh-so-fast, so much harder to make out than a moment ago... 

Then it started to rain, and she was alone.   


**Author's note: **Whew!   
Okay, so I broke my promise. Don't worry, I won't have much more opportunity to do so, only one more short chapter and an epilogue and this story will be _finished_! Completed! Wooo! If you think I've left any loose ends you'd better speak up now, ya never know, I might've missed something...   
Anyway, yeah, insert usual tell-me-what-you-think speech... 


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

  
  
  
  


The sun was shining brightly over San Francisco, its light being reflected by every available surface. Despite this, it was cool, a soft breeze wafting in from the sea... it smelled like morning. 

Pyralis sat on a rock, watching the boats go by as she fiddled half-consciously with her bracelet, a thoughtful expression on her face. She had been there since dawn, had watched the sun come up and the city begin to come alive. Her mind was empty. She didn't want to think about anything right now... just enjoy the morning. 

She knew she would have to think about it eventually, of course. But, quite frankly, she was tired of things flying around in head that she didn't fully understand. It wore her out. 

"Hi." 

Pyralis turned around, surprised to hear Piper's voice behind her. "Hi," she replied. 

Piper smiled and came to sit down next to her. "Nice view." 

"Yeah, I think so." 

They sat in silence for a moment, watching the sun dance on the ripples in the water. Pyralis looked over at Piper, who paid this no attention. 

"How's Prue?" Pyralis asked finally. 

"She'll be okay." Piper nodded, still looking straight ahead. 

"The others?" 

"Them too. Leo's been great." She turned her head to Pyralis. "That was a wonderful poem that you read at the funeral." 

"Oh." Pyralis shrugged. "Thanks." She looked at her feet for a second. "Are _you_ okay?" 

"Yes!" Piper laughed and put her arm around Pyralis. "We'll all be okay." She squeezed her. "What about you?" 

Pyralis shook her head. "I dunno. I haven't really thought about it." 

"Well," Piper moved a bit closer. "I'm sure you'll be fine." 

"Oh yeah," Pyralis said suddenly, looking up. "I wanted to thank you." 

"What for?" 

"For being there. I realized when I was... talking to Phoebe..." she trailed off, suddenly getting an absent look in her eyes, but then blinking and shrugging it off. "I never had her to look out for me... but I had you instead. So, thank you. For being my mother." 

Piper smiled. "Pyralis, I've hardly-" 

"Yes." Pyralis cut her off, gazing at her intently. "You have." She looked down at her shoes again and kicked her feet against the rock a couple of times. "Why couldn't I help them?!" she cried, and kicked again more viciously. 

"Sweetie... I don't think anyone could've done more than you did for them." 

"_I_ could've. I could've helped her, dammit! But then she had to go and kill herself. Why would she do that, Piper? And Cole! If Phoebe hadn't done that, and if he hadn't killed Phyre, then maybe-" 

"Sweetie, sweetie, those are some big 'if's!" 

"I know." Pyralis sighed. "I just can't help feeling that... it could've been different." 

"Different doesn't necessarily mean better. I mean, what if they had managed to turn you evil, huh?" 

Pyralis laughed and shook her head. "Not possible." 

"There was a time when I would've said that about Phoebe." 

Neither of them quite knew what to say after that. 

"Piper?" Pyralis asked after a pause. 

Piper looked up. 

"How did you find me?" 

"Kalinda did." Piper grinned. "And don't ask me how, I have absolutely no idea. I don't think she does, either." She shrugged. "I guess it was just... meant to be." 

Pyralis raised her eyebrows. "Like everything else that's happened?" 

"Maybe. Now come on." Piper stood up. "There's a cup of hot chocolate at home with your name on it." 

So Pyralis smiled and got up too, Piper put her arm around her shoulders, and they went home.   


**Author's note: **Almost done now... 


	20. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

  
  
  


It's over. 

A whole bunch of things are over. Cole and Phoebe's lives, for a start. And Phyre's. But also things like... like not knowing. Like being afraid. Like hating them. 

Because I don't hate them. After everything they did... they were still my parents. I'm only just beginning to finally understand them, but the more I do understand, the more I see that they were _people_. Misguided, hurt people, yes, but still not evil, emotionless, sadistic _things_. They didn't have any control over the events that made them who they were, or at least not much. They made some bad choices, but after all, it is human nature to make mistakes. 

So I forgive them. 

Actually, I think I forgave them the moment Phoebe died. You could tell that they really loved each other. And anyone who can feel like that about another person... well, I can't help but forgive them. 

I don't know if the others know how _they_ feel about them though. I think they're just sad. It doesn't matter to them how Phyre died, she's still _dead_, after all. We've all cried at one time or another. Piper's taking it the worst. She says she's fine and tries to act normal, but I know she's not. I heard her crying in the bathroom this morning. The only time she's cried in public was at the funeral. 

But, like she said, she _will be_ fine. I'm sure of it. 

_Footsteps_   
_Fading in the hallway_   
_Sunshine_   
_Coming through the window_   
_Contentment_   
_Finally achieved___

_Mother_   
_Not lost, but found_   
_Smiling_   
_Following the light_   
_Loving_   
_Always_

That's from the poem I read at Phoebe's funeral. I'd never let _one_ other person hear one of my poems before, let alone a whole crowd of them. But somehow I just felt it was appropriate, even though the poem itself may not be that good I had a different one prepared, but then I decided to write one just for Phoebe. _About_ Phoebe. 

It's strange, to think that Cole and her are dead. They've been there my whole life, like a specter in the background, the inevitable confrontation with them looming over my future. And now, suddenly, it's not there anymore, it's over, I've gone past it. 

For the first time in my life I have no idea what the future holds. It's a little daunting. 

But also kind of exciting. 

So I guess it's time to bury my demons. Not forget them, I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. But not let them rule my life. 

It's time for _me_ to make the decisions. What those decisions will be I don't know yet. I might go on to become the greatest witch of all time! Or a famous poetess. Or I might just settle down and raise a family. Maybe all three, we'll see. 

It's just good to know that I've finally fulfilled my destiny.   


  


**The End**

  
  
  


**Author's note:** Woohoooooo! Finished! Over! Completed! Woooo! 

What did you think? 

Well, now that's over I feel I should let you know that I have no plans at all to write another Charmed fic at the moment, apart from maybe one or two short ones (like 'The Visit', for example; a scene or two), the reason being that if I did it would have to be completely different from this one, and I don't have any ideas that fulfill that requirement at the moment, at least not any I would want to spend a large amount of time on. Nope, I'm going back to the world of Star Trek for a while, then probably Harry Potter, and _then_... well, we'll see. One thing I will _certainly_ not do is write a sequel to this. The story is finished, end of story. And yes, I have a strange sense of humor. 

So... thank you all for reading and reviewing, hope you had fun... and see you around :) 

Of course, now you'll all go off and watch every episode of Star Trek: Voyager so you'll understand my next fic, right? *grin* 


End file.
